Roth stood and held out his hand in the Earth way of greeting. “Commander Bills spoke of you.”
The human clasped Roth’s hand firmly and gave it a shake. “He spoke of you, too, and the kind of despicable treatment you’ve had to endure so far since you were assigned here.” Anger took over the male’s face. “I wish I were twenty years younger. I’d beat the tar out of Bradley for how he treated all of you. It gives everyone in the fleet a bad name when someone breaks the rules and takes advantage of their rank to cause misery to others. I’ve been around long enough to remember why the fleet was formed. It was for this kind of opportunity, to work with other species and build stronger alliances. Some humans think we’re the superior race but the truth is, we learned we’re small potatoes in the scheme of things once we took to space. I’m happy to work with the big boys.”
Gnaw cleared his throat. “Do humans believe we are youths? Your kind has called us boys before. We’re fully matured.”
Roth growled a warning at him.
Clark chuckled. “Sorry. Earth speak. Boys is another term we use for men in the fleet. For example, ‘me and the boys like to drink beers.’ That kind of thing. It implies camaraderie.” He glanced at all of them again. “You’re definitely all fully matured. If you were kids, you’d be the ones kicking everyone’s asses on the playground.”
Drak liked the male, despite not being certain of what all his words meant. Playgrounds were for games. Not fights. He didn’t ask for clarification, though. Humans were strange creatures at times.
“Would you like to eat with us?” Roth retook his seat.
Clark sat but didn’t grab food first. “I already ate, but I’d love to get to know all of you. I’m going to be your personal pilot from now on, too, besides being the one assigning your duties. I used to be a tactical team leader in my twenties and thirties but I got too old to fight. My aching joints were kicking my ass more so than whatever enemy I was taking on. I’m a hell of a pilot, though. Not to toot my own horn but I always fly Commander Bills if he’s in the mood to get close to some fighting. Not that he does often anymore. That’s for younger people. Aging sucks.”
“Why?” Gnaw appeared confused.
“Aching body parts comes with age in humans. So…I should tell you a little about myself. I’ve never been married…no woman wanted to take me on longer than a few months. I’ve been with the fleet for twenty-six years. When I hit my thirtieth-year mark, I’m going to retire to a nice little colony I have picked out. The weather’s always pleasant there, and it’s become the place to go.” The human grinned. “I hear there’s a lot of single ladies, too. I’m hoping an older one might move in with me once I’m planted in one spot.”
“You want to find a mate?” Drak asked.
Clark nodded. “That’s what you call married, right? We won’t be having kids, though. I’ll be a few months shy of turning fifty when I retire. That’s for the younger people too.” He waved toward his lap. “The equipment still works great but I don’t want to be chasing little ones around. That’s why I want to find someone near my age.”
Gnaw leaned closer. “Does your rod stop working after a certain age with humans?” He pointed at his lap to show what he meant.
“Sometimes.” Clark laughed. “Rod, huh? We call it a dick. The doctors can fix most problems but I don’t want kids. I have a younger brother who has seven of them. He looks way older than me. I think it was all that chasing and stress from raising two boys and five girls.”
“That’s interesting,” Roth replied.
“What about you boys? Are any of you wanting a mate? I read your files. It says you’re all currently single.”
Roth took that question. “Goupings such as ours have a difficult time finding mates.”
“Why is that?” Clark appeared genuinely interested.
Gnaw answered him. “We’re fighters who travel often. Our females prefer males who remain in one place. It’s important to them to keep a stable home for cubs. They also believe it isn’t healthy moving them from place to place or living on ships in space.”
“That’s relatable.” Clark nodded. “We aren’t that different. No woman wanted to fly all over the place with me, either. It’s tough on them. They want to stick close to family and such. Out here in space, it’s all about who you’re working with and the excitement of the next assignments.”
Drak noticed the moment Abby entered the cafeteria. She glanced around, met his gaze, and smiled. He stood as she approached. She came right to him and touched his arm.
“I told you that I’d find you later.”
He remembered his manners. “This is Clark Yenna, Abby.”
She turned to give the other human a nod. “I’ve heard good things about you from the commander.”
“You must be Abby Thomas.” Clark stood and offered her his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Thomas. Glad you made it back safely.”
Drak didn’t like it when they shook hands. No male should be touching her, but he muted the growl that wanted to burst forth because it was an Earth custom. Veslors didn’t like it when other males touched a female they were interested in, and she’d agreed to let him bare part of his body to her.
Roth shot him a warning look. Drak understood. They were amongst humans who didn’t understand their ways. He gave a sharp nod to say he understood and wouldn’t attack the male. Clark wasn’t challenging him for Abby’s interest by touching her. It didn’t mean that Drak liked it, though.
He put his arm around her waist and sat, drawing her onto his lap. That would make it clear to everyone around them that he had a current claim on her.
Abby flashed him a curious glance but didn’t protest.
Clark glanced between them and arched his white eyebrows. It created wrinkles on his forehead.
“Drak and I are very close. He saved my life.” Abby adjusted her body where she perched his lap, getting more comfortable, and then put her arm around his neck, resting her hand on his other shoulder. Her expression grew serious as she stared at Clark. “I should warn you that I’m very protective of Drak and this grouping. Howard swore you’re a great guy who he trusts, but please know I’ll be watching everything. That’s why Rogers is in deep shit. I believe in blunt honesty, Mr. Yenna. There it is. He fucked with them. I busted his balls. You fuck with them in any way, I’ll become your worst nightmare.”
Clark’s eyes widened but then he laughed. “I like you, Miss Thomas. You’re direct. I’ll be the same. I’m nothing like that slime ball. I heard what Rogers did—all of it. My priority is keeping these boys safe and treating them fairly. You have my word, but you feel free to watch away. I think you’ll be impressed.”
“You do use a lot of ball terms,” Drak whispered.
Abby chuckled, turning her head to grin at him. It put her lips very close to his. He glanced at them, the urge to taste them strong, but he resisted. Instead, he peered into her green eyes. They were so beautiful.
“We do.” She glanced around the table at his grouping, before addressing Clark again. “I came to help them get situated with a decent living situation.”
Clark’s face scrunched as he looked at Abby. “What’s wrong with their current one?”
“You mean the one-bedroom cabin they’ve been forced to share since they arrived?”
“Son of bitch,” Clark sputtered. “Are you shitting me?”
“I wish I were. I spent a few hours today with the department that assigns cabins. On record, the Veslors were assigned to four different cabins, but the logs only show they’ve accessed one since their arrival. That’s the kind of bullshit Rogers has put them through since.”
Abby glanced at Roth. “I’ve set up a tour for your grouping to see one of the unused family suites on deck four. They contain three bedrooms with two bathrooms. There’s a fourth room used for an office space. It’s the size of a bedroom, but it doesn’t have a closet. That room does have a door for privacy, though. I’ll also show you four si
ngle cabins if you prefer not to share living spaces, like the living area and kitchen. Two of them are side by side and the other two are across the hall but in close proximity. I ordered one of the security officers to meet me there to show them to you. Unfortunately, that’s the best I could do for now. Otherwise, we’ll have to have a few people move to make four cabins available side by side. That could take a few days.”
Drak tightened his arm around Abby’s waist, liking the feel of her sitting on him and having her close. She smelled good. He also liked that she was fierce in defending his grouping. It aroused him immensely. He tried to suppress it but Gnaw wrinkled his nose when the scent of his oil reached the male closest to him.
Drak shot him a warning glare to keep silent. Humans couldn’t pick up scents as well as they could. He hadn’t forgotten the warning about females not liking to hear about oil.
Gnaw grinned but didn’t say a word.
“I’ll escort them to see the family suite and the cabins.” Clark stood. “It’s my job to take care of these boys.”
“What the fuck?”
Drak turned to stare at a human male who had stopped by their table, gawking at Abby perched on his lap. He didn’t like the way the male stared at her. It made him angry. He tensed, and Abby’s arm tightened over his back.
“Move along,” Clark snapped at the male. “I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than act like an idiot. You’ve seen lots of women sitting on guys’ laps. They’re not breaking any rules. If you’re bored, I can find you plenty of shit to do. I heard gardening always needs people to clean out the fertilizer recyclers.”
The crew member rushed away.
Drak was confused but Abby laughed. “I think I’m going to like you, Yenna.”
“Call me Clark.”
“Abby,” she responded in kind. She released Drak and stood. “I’ll take them to tour their new sleeping options. No offense, but I can get it sorted out faster than you can.”
“It’s my job to make sure my men are taken care of,” Clark protested.
“You have to go through official channels, which means filing requests and then waiting for approval to have them moved from where they’re currently staying. It can take a few days. I just hack through the bullshit, and as the official personal assistant to the commander, no one tries to stop me.” She smiled and moved to Drak’s side. “If I do it, it will only be a matter of them packing their belongs and moving right away.”
Clark grinned and shook his head. “Well, shit. You’re going to be handy to have around, Abby. Can you do you anything about which transports I’ll be flying them around in? I like the newer models. Not that I can’t fly anything on this boat but we might as well get the best.”
She nodded. “I’ll make it happen, Clark.”
Abby turned to Drak and started to speak, but then faced Roth. “You’re the grouping leader. Would you like to tour a family suite and then the single-bedroom cabins?”
Roth nodded, getting to his feet. “We’d appreciate that. It’s been difficult sharing a cramped sleeping area.” He shot Drak an amused look but didn’t say why.
Drak felt relief.
They left the cafeteria. Drak noticed the attention from the humans who watched them depart. Clark said he’d see them first thing in the morning and they’d go over the details of their next shift on the surface.
Once they were alone with Abby and in a lift to take them to the fourth level, she took his hand. He liked it. Hers felt small and fragile.
She addressed Roth. “What do you think of Clark Yenna? If he gives you any trouble, treats you anything like Rogers did, please tell me right away.”
Roth nodded. “I promised I’d inform Commander Bills if there is a problem. We’re having meals together now.”
“He told me.” Abby squeezed Drak’s hand, peering up at him. “Did you get enough sleep today?”
“I did.”
“I’m glad.” She glanced around at his grouping. “Once again, thank you so much for everything you did to save me.” Her gaze fixed on Roth. “And for making sure there were shuttles on the surface after the sun came up.”
“We always keep our word,” Roth replied in a firm voice.
The lift doors opened and Abby released Drak’s hand. He missed touching her. She pulled out a small data pad from one of her loose pockets and tapped at it, walking to the left of the corridor. “The security officer should be waiting for us ahead. He’s got access to the spaces I wanted to show you.”
Chapter Ten
Abby stood back and watched the Veslors take in the generous-sized family suite. They seemed to be impressed. The living space alone had to be twice the size of her entire cabin. She was grateful there were a few available choices. It seemed Defcon Red didn’t have many families onboard. The one she’d chosen was the largest model with the enclosed office option.
“I can have the office furniture moved out and replaced with an adult bedroom set if you chose this suite,” she called out to them. “Is not having a closet in there going to be a problem?”
Gnaw grinned at her, showing off a lot of his teeth. “No. There is so much room.”
“Is two bathrooms going to be enough?” She worried, wanting them to be happy.
Maith snorted. “We’ve been sharing one. Two is a luxury.”
Drak walked up to her and she peered into his eyes. He smiled. “We like this. It is much nicer than what we had. I’ll take the room without the closet.”
“No,” Roth objected. “We’ll give you the room with the private bathroom.”
“Why does he get it?” Gnaw growled. “I thought you’d take it since it’s the largest.”
Roth jerked his head toward Drak and Abby, and Gnaw gave a nod.
She frowned at Drak.
He cleared his throat. “It will give us more privacy, since you’ve agreed to spend time with me.”
That was sweet. She felt her cheeks heat a little but didn’t say anything. It seemed his grouping was aware of their shared attraction, and even approved.
“I’ll take the room without the closet,” Maith offered. “Do I get a big bed like the others?”
Abby tore her attention off Drak to answer him. “Yes. The previous tenants must have had teenage children, since there aren’t single-size beds in the bedrooms. Those can be uncomfortable for tall people.”
“We’re aware,” Gnaw came closer. “Our feet hung off our bunks.”
She inwardly cursed Rogers once again. He’d really gone out of his way to make the Veslors miserable aboard Defcon Red. She felt zero sympathy for him or his team for being reassigned to another post. It would look bad on their service record, at least. “Do you want to see the single-bedroom cabins?”
Roth came to her. “No. We like this. It fits our exact needs.”
She didn’t blame them for wanting to stick together after the hell they’d faced so far. “I’ll order the furniture exchange for the office right now. They knew to expect it if you chose this suite.” She pulled out her pad, sending the message. The response came fast. “They’re doing it now. I figure they’ll be here in an hour. It will give you time to grab your belongings and return. I’ll stay here to allow them access in case you’re not back yet. I’ve also updated the system. This family suite is officially yours! From now on, the scan locks will work for the four of you. I left you access to your other cabin for the next twenty-four hours while you move.”
“It will only take us minutes,” Roth informed her. “We can pack fast and be back right away.”
Abby turned to the security officer. “Thank you. You’re dismissed. We won’t be viewing other cabins.”
The crew member nodded and exited.
Drak stepped closer to Abby’s side. “I’ll wait with you. Gnaw, will you pack my belongings and bring them?”
The male grinned. “Yes.”
Abby watched the three Veslors leave and lifted her chin to peer up at Drak. They were alone…and she’d thought
about him all day. It had been hell waiting for the onboard computer to alert her that he had left his cabin and gone to the cafeteria.
Not that she was going to admit to watching him like that. It seemed stalkerish.
Drak smiled at her. “Thank you for giving us this.”
“This is where you should have been assigned when you first came onboard. Rogers really is an asshole.”
He studied her, not answering.
Abby wasn’t exactly uneasy with the silence but she was curious what he was thinking. She decided to just ask. “You’re quiet. What’s going on inside your head?”
“I want to comfort you but I’m unsure if you really meant it.”
“The ‘bare your upper body to me’ thing?” She grinned. “I’d really like that.”
A low growl rumbled from him. It was sexy. Especially when those emerald green eyes of his narrowed and he licked his lips, his gaze lowering to her mouth. She hoped he wanted to kiss her. She shoved her mini data pad in a pocket and reached up, gently placing her hands on his chest. He was solidly built and felt very firm under the shirt he wore.
“I planned to research your females after I woke, before I ate, but didn’t have time.”
“What do you want to know? Just ask me.”
“I’m unsure if you want to copulate with me or only expect me to hold you. There’s no confusion with Veslors. You’re a human, though, and they are often confusing.”
He was so sexy. “Copulate, huh? How do the women from your race let you know if they’re interested in more than being held?”
He hesitated. “It’s easier to show you. I won’t hurt you. Will you allow it?”
“Yes. I’m game. I trust you.”
He reached up and took one of her hands still on his chest. “Come with me.”
Mission: Guardian Angel (Veslor Mates Book 2) Page 11