Promise of Love (7 page)

"I know.” She kept her voice quiet. “You're much more than a picture on a wall. You always will be.” How was it she had let this man get so deeply into her soul?

"I wish I could give you more,” he whispered. His eyes held the pain that his inability caused him. Maybe that was it, this man had such a depth to him if he'd only let her see all of it.

"Give me what you can, and that will be enough.” She tried to make her voice sound assuring. She looked deep into those blue eyes of his.
Oh Stuart, I'm going to make you whole again, I promise
, she told herself. He smiled gently at her, and Rieko lowered her head to his chest. “Will you stay the night?” she asked.

She felt him shake his head. “I can't,” he answered. “I'll stay as long as you want."

"Can I request all night?” She smiled as her eyes closed. She felt a gentle chuckle rumble though his chest. He wrapped her tighter in his embrace. The beating of his heart and soft raise and fall of his breath quickly lulled her into sleep.

Rieko stirred from sleep at what she thought was the sound of the door opening to the lit hallway. She reached out to find the bed beside her still warm from Stuart's heat. Eyes half closed with sleep, she looked over to find her jade dress neatly draped over the back of a chair, and her shoes and underwear on the seat. She would heal all those wounds of his she promised herself as she fell back into a gentle sleep.

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Rieko glanced across the bridge at Stuart and tried to suppress the blush that threatened to spread across her fair cheeks. Part of her wished she could retreat to the safety of the astronomy lab. This certainly wasn't the first time she and Stuart had returned to their afternoon shifts after lunchtime sex. One would think she'd have gotten used to it by now.

When she could feel his eyes on her, she forced her eyes to remain on the screen before her, while she fought to calm the butterflies in her stomach. When Rieko finally looked up, the intense stare of his clear blue eyes pulled her in. He lowered his eyes back to his work and she tried to do the same.

Intense was most certainly the word for Stuart. Who knew under that reserved British exterior lurked a man of such passion. Loving Stuart felt like white water rafting. He pulled her in with such little effort, and took her roaring downstream at such a rapid pace she barely had time to think. Yet all in all it had so far been a rather fun ride.

Today's latest adventure had begun at lunch with Taylor. Sometimes she wondered if the engineer caught on to the unspoken energy between Stuart and herself. If he did he never let on, although he also didn't seem to mind being the third wheel. Stuart had given Rieko his particular look where those gray-blue eyes of his radiated passion and desire. Yet, the conversation continued on about the ship's latest explorations, the habitable planets in the last visited star system.

It wasn't until after lunch and Taylor had headed back to Engineering that Stuart took her hand and guided her to a not often used hallway. As Chief Armory Officer, Stuart knew every inch of the
Resolution
inside and out. It seemed it was his goal to have them christen each and every secluded nook and cranny of the entire ship. Today's particular location was a small storage closet well off the beaten path and empty of whatever it was built to be filled with.

Rieko replayed what had followed through her mind. As soon as the door had closed, she found herself pressed against the wall, Stuart's hands and lips and tongue seemingly everywhere at once. He quickly pulled enough of her uniform and underclothes off to have access to what he desired. He spread her legs and lifted her into his arms. Her legs straddled his waist. He used the bulkhead for leverage and quickly entered her, moving fast and swift.

"Ensign,” Commander Poloski's voice brought Rieko harshly back to reality and what she was supposed to be working on. “How are the modifications to the star chart coming?” Poloski folded her hands behind her back.

"Fine,” Rieko replied. Poloski peered over Rieko's shoulder to get a better look at her progress. Rieko wondered if the request for Rieko's project status was because the commander had noticed her wandering thoughts.

Poloski finished looking at Rieko's work and straightened herself back up. “Good job, Ensign,” she told Rieko before she returned to her station. Rieko tried to make her sigh of relief as soft as possible.

"So, what is going on with you and Lieutenant Commander Tipton?” Rieko asked Leeza as they sat on the couch and bed in Leeza's room, both decked out in pajamas for the night.

"Don't change the subject, Rieko.” Leeza smiled. “We were talking about you and one Lieutenant MacEwan.” The sole purpose for Rieko being here was to girl talk about that British Chief Armory Officer still at most times a mystery.

Rieko nodded her head in agreement on what the subject was supposed to be. Maybe she could dig a few details out of Leeza later.

"So, the last time the two of you really talked was the night he showed you the model ship?” Leeza asked.

"Yeah,” Rieko answered. “That was almost two weeks ago."

"He really opened up then, right?” Leeza leaned back against a pillow.

"Yeah.” Rieko had left out the information that Stuart had revealed. He would hate her if she broke his privacy.

"All you've been doing since is having sex?” Leeza asked.

Rieko nodded her head. “Really great sex, but yes."

"All over the ship from what I hear."

Rieko nodded and felt a blush creep over her cheeks.

Leeza shook her head. “He doesn't at all strike me as that type."

"Well, there's a lot more to him than would appear,” Rieko said. Leeza gave her an odd little look in reply. “Don't you even dare give him a look like that in public.” Rieko tried to make her voice sound threatening. She could just see his embarrassment if Leeza let on that she knew about Stuart's sexual prowess.

Leeza feigned surprise at Rieko thinking she would do such a thing. “You should sit down and talk to him. Just talk."

Rieko sighed with resignation. She had known all along it was what she needed to do, but she was glad Leeza had confirmed her thoughts on the matter.

"Hi Rieko,” Stuart greeted as she entered his room the next evening.

"We need to talk.” She knew her voice sounded blunt, and rightly so. She strolled to the bed and sat down. He sat across from the bed at his desk strewn with pieces of his latest model.

"Why?” His attention remained on the assembly of his model.

"Because we haven't lately.” She kept her voice firm.

"We talked at dinner."

"Not about anything important.” She frowned. “You know what I mean."

"We need to talk about important stuff?” He finally turned around in the chair to look at her. Once his gaze took her in, he seemed happy to find her out of her uniform, wearing a sleeveless white shirt and brown pants. He himself obviously hadn't had time to change yet.

She saw his now all too familiar look of desire cross his face. He was clearly thinking about how fast he could get her out of her clothes. “Don't give me that look,” she ordered.

"What look?” Innocence filled his face, although his eyes gave away his real thoughts.

"You know what look.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Don't even be thinking about it.” Rieko pointed a finger at him when he smiled at her. “Leeza said that we need to talk, just talk, no sex, and I agree with her.” She crossed her arms.

His face wrinkled in confusion. “Leeza?"

"Leeza Carpenter,” she answered.

"Ensign Carpenter?"

"Yeah.” Rieko nodded.

He seemed more perplexed now and a little upset. “You discussed this with Ensign Carpenter?"

"I have to talk to somebody about you,” she stated. He must know enough about women to know that they did such things.

"Why?” he asked. Or maybe Stuart didn't know such things.

"Because that's what women do, talk to their girlfriends about the men that are currently confusing them by making mad passionate love, then walking out and not even staying the night.” The words rushed out of her. Somehow, he seemed even more lost by the conversation now.

"Can we just talk?” she asked. Her voice came out more pleading than she had wanted.

"What all have you told her?” Confusion laced Stuart's voice, although his face remained rigidly solid.

"I haven't told her anything private or personal, I promise,” she answered. She could not betray him like that.

"You told her about the sex?” An awe-struck look of disgust filled his face.

"Well.” Rieko shrugged her shoulders and hoped he wouldn't want to know how much detail she had given Leeza. “Does that bother you?” She had thought it wouldn't.

He ignored the question, something he did with most things he wished not to answer. “So, you're here because Ensign Carpenter told you we need to talk?” He rose from his chair and sat beside her on the bed.

"Yeah.” Rieko nodded. It wasn't like it was Leeza's idea really. It had just taken Leeza's demands to get her over here tonight.

"Could we have a quick shag first?” Stuart had a completely serious and straight face.

"Stuart.” Her shock held a joking manner. More and more he acted like this: up-front, coy, and quick witted.

"Shagging after talking probably isn't allowed either.” He feigned disappointment. Rieko mockingly glared at him. Men and their one track minds.

Stuart gave his best innocent look and then shrugged one shoulder. “No harm in asking,” he said. Rieko silently noted how cute he could be. “So, what are we talking about?” he asked, probably to get rid of her look, showing how much of an utter guy he was being.

"Your father,” Rieko answered.

The crooked smile that had begun to form on his features crumbled. “Can we pick a new subject?” His voice pleaded, not masking his desire to avoid talking about his father. “Is Ensign Carpenter seeing Taylor?” he asked to the subject.

"That was a private conversation,” she told him.

"The sex between us wasn't?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know what they are doing and neither do they,” she answered. “Of course, if you believe the ship's rumor mill, he could really be interested and/or seeing Dulchman or Elliots."

He looked at her with shock. “Ensign Elliots is a man."

"Yeah.” Rieko shrugged a shoulder. “It's just a rumor."

"I know for a fact that Taylor is very heterosexual.” Stuart's tone sounded blunt. “Believe me, he's very attracted to women.” Rieko wondered what firsthand knowledge he had about any of that.

"Maybe he's just as attracted to men sometimes.” She managed to keep the smile from her face. “Or maybe it's just a silly rumor."

"It would explain a few things,” he stated.

"Like?” Rieko lifted an eyebrow.

"What man uses conditioner?” His voice held almost horror at the thought.

"The kind that wants soft shiny hair.” She would play along for a bit, even though she knew he was clearly trying to avoid talking about anything important.

"Or has a conversation in the shower?” His voice now held outrage. “That is a very private time. You do not talk to others who might also be in the bathroom with you."

"Maybe he's just in touch with his feminine side?” She knew that was likely a big part of it. She wondered why Stuart hadn't mentioned Taylor crying at the movies yet. “You have been avoiding the chosen subject."

"Have I?” He looked at her innocently. “I said I'd like another.” His accent made the statement came out thicker than usual.

Rieko sighed and searched for another subject. “How many other women have you been with, slept with?” She wasn't really sure if she wanted to know the answer. She knew there had been several before her. Stuart looked a little miffed at this question as well. “Would you rather talk about your father?” Rieko asked, making him cringe.

"No.” His voice sounded sharp. Then he furrowed his brow in thought. “I never really kept tally."

He wasn't getting off that easy. “Okay,” she said, “a few, several, a lot?"

He cocked his head and continued thinking. “Maybe not quite a lot,” he answered finally. “How many men have you slept with?"

Oh yeah
, Rieko thought,
that was the problem with this question. He could throw it back at her
. “A few,” she answered. He seemed to want something more. “You're not getting an exact number."

Stuart shrugged his shoulders. “Sure. Did all the relationships end on bad terms?"

Rieko wondered how exactly the questions were turned to her? “No. Just a couple. It doesn't mean the other endings didn't sting a little."

"They hurt you?” His voice held genuine concern.

"I wasn't always the one getting hurt. Sometimes I was giving it too.” She sighed. “It's the ones that don't even count that hurt the most.” She thought about those few men she had spent so much time pining over, only to have nothing come of it. “It's harder to let the hope that maybe they'll come to their senses die."

His intense eyes held such warmth and concern for her. “I promise you, Rieko, I'll try not to hurt you,” he whispered.

"I know,” she told him. “So, were any of them—the ‘not quite a lot’ of women—serious?"

"Mostly they were very on the spot, fairly casual.” He lifted one narrow shoulder in a shrug.

"As in one night stands?” she asked.

"A few,” he answered. “Believe it or not without Taylor tagging along with his inept fortune with women I can actually do quite well picking up women at bars.”
When had he and Taylor tried to pick up women in bars
? Rieko decided to leave that for later.

"There were a few that weren't that casual.” He spoke quickly before she could ask any questions. “Some I wanted to let in, tried to.” His pace slowed and his voice turned sorrowful. “Others who knew enough to know I wouldn't, so left it at ‘just sex’ and didn't let themselves get too attached."

"You hurt some of them?” Rieko asked, softly.