Gracie gave a scared squeak in response, and Kit managed to stammer out, “Good morning, sir,” before the party moved on. Warner brought up the rear, and though she’d softened toward Kit again over the last few days and was usually friendly enough to Gracie, she didn’t even acknowledge them, her gaze fixed on Wright’s back. She must be on bodyguard duty. Kit admired her focus.
When the escort party disappeared around a corner, their voices fading away, Gracie leaned back on a crate and fanned herself with the stores list.
“Hell’s bells.”
“I know what you mean,” Kit said. “I’d do him.”
“Kit!” Gracie protested. “That’s
not
what I meant. What about the chief?”
“I’m already doing him. What more do you want?”
She whacked him with a box of freeze-dried noodles, then dumped it on the cart.
“I’m not the only one who’d do him,” Kit said, loading more boxes of noodles. “Katie couldn’t take her eyes off his ass.”
“She’s on security detail.”
“Then he has the safest ass on the ship.”
“Not safe from you.”
“I wouldn’t dare come between Katie and any ass she wanted. The captain didn’t seem so keen, though. Feel the tension from her?”
“She doesn’t like Earth military. She fought in the Chindra independence war. Come on, there’s plenty more to collect.”
Kit pushed the cart while she led the way. Much as he wouldn’t kick Commodore Wright out of bed, he felt like he had as much of a grudge against him as the captain did. He was keeping Kit’s man from him tonight.
* * *
Raine had been careful not to let his gaze linger too long on Kit when they passed him and Gracie collecting stores—he couldn’t risk the distraction. So he’d been startled when Wright greeted them. He should have expected it, though. A good commander noticed and acknowledged even the lowliest of ship’s hands.
He worried afterward about allowing the commodore and a stowaway to get so close to each other. Would the captain reprimand him later? Probably not, he thought, glancing at Dryden across the meeting-room table. She glowered at Wright over the rim of her coffee cup. Raine suspected she wouldn’t have cared if Kit had turned around and battered Wright to death with a can of vegetables.
Warner would have stopped it, though. Still on security detail, she stood by the wall near Wright, sidearm on her hip, her gaze on the door, the only point of entry. He’d have to commend her later on her excellent work today. She had a focus he feared he lacked.
Even before they’d chanced upon him and Gracie, Kit had been on Raine’s mind. Raine wouldn’t see him later because of the dinner the
Dawn’s
officers had to fly over to the escort’s flagship to attend. He used to look forward to those. The captain may not like the military, but Raine always felt comfortable in the company of men like himself, men born to a uniform. Today, though, he resented the time it would take—time away from Kit. Pretty pathetic in the end, knowing he would probably sulk his way through the dinner because he’d rather be in his cabin having sex. Or, wait… Wouldn’t most of the people attending prefer to be doing that?
What the hell was wrong with him? Where was his mind? He was supposed to be working. He suppressed a sigh and tried to turn his attention back to the meeting when Wright asked him for some further details about the ship’s defense arrangements in the event they were boarded.
* * *
Lying on his bunk, Kit watched the glowing clock set in the wall, saw the time change to midnight and move on to what he was learning to call “double oh thirty.” He checked his Link again and saw the notification. The captain’s yacht—a small shuttlecraft—had docked a few minutes ago. The officers had returned. Raine was back aboard.
He’d head straight to his cabin. Would want to get right to sleep to be ready for duty in the morning. Kit should be sleeping too; he had duty even earlier than Raine—at 0600. Perhaps he would rest now he knew Raine was safely back aboard. Not that he’d been worried about him or, say, jealous about him hanging out with a lot of young military officers, all gorgeous in their uniforms.
The thought drove Kit up and out of his bunk. Moving quietly so as not to wake any of the other men asleep in the dim room, he grabbed a pair of his kitchen-whites trousers and a random T-shirt and dressed hastily. He forgot about shoes and padded his way out of the bunk room, sliding the door closed quietly behind him.
The watch stander in the security office would know from his tracker he was on the move, but he didn’t care what they thought about his destination. Raine had started taking all the check-in sessions lately, clearly not wanting Kit to explain to anyone else why he went to officer country every night.
He hurried through the corridors, the deck cold under his bare feet. The lights were dim, and he met nobody on the way, though he passed rooms where he heard voices a couple of times. Only the night watch would be around. Everyone else would be in bed or heading there.
A glance down the corridor of the officer’s cabins showed him it was deserted. Good. Though Raine’s preference for not advertising their relationship amused him, Kit didn’t want to force him to flaunt it if it bothered him so much. He didn’t think it was only because Raine thought it so inappropriate. In fact, he seemed to be getting over that idea. But he was a naturally discreet and private man. Kit could respect that.
He walked quietly to Raine’s door and buzzed. A moment later, Raine opened it and stared at him. Kit felt slightly foolish suddenly, like a lovesick idiot. So he pasted on the best cocky grin he could manage and struck a casual pose.
“You smuggle me out any canapés in your pocket, then?”
Raine smiled and shook his head, then stood aside to let Kit in. He quickly closed the door behind him, with a glance out into the corridor.
“Man!” Kit stood with hands on hips, drinking in the sight of Raine in his dress uniform. “You look totally gorgeous in that thing.”
Raine flushed and grinned. “Flatterer.”
“It’s true. I mean you always look hot in your ordinary uniform, but this is taking it to the next level. Give us a twirl.”
“For goodness’ sake.”
“Come on, turn around.” He grinned. “Show me the ass! Shake the moneymaker, baby.”
Raine gave a long-suffering sigh and turned around so Kit could check out his fine ass looking even more fine than usual.
“I think you should petition the captain to make this the uniform you guys wear all the time.”
“No way. The collar is too tight. I was about to get out of it when you arrived.” He gave a smile Kit could only call sly. “Would you like to help me?”
“What am I, your valet?” But he came into Raine’s arms and pushed the jacket off. Raine caught it as it fell and dropped it over the back of a chair.
“Kiss me, soldier,” Kit said, his voice soft, rather husky, losing the teasing and bantering tone.
Raine dipped his head at the order, and their lips met. Mouths opened after a second, the kiss deepening, intensifying from gentle and careful to demanding, passionate. When Kit pulled away, he was breathing hard.
“It’s very late,” Raine said. “Maybe we should take a rain check until tomorrow. You have duty in a few hours.”
“I know. But I missed you. I couldn’t do anything but think about you. I couldn’t sleep. Too jealous imagining you getting off with some hot junior officer.”
Raine laughed. “Unlikely. Earth military doesn’t like gays in the service.”
“Yeah? Dicks. I’m starting to see why the captain doesn’t like them.” He began to unbutton Raine’s shirt, searching for the firm skin he’d been dreaming of for hours. No rain check.
“I think she has other issues with them. They destroyed her home planet’s capital city, for one thing. Put your arms up, will you?” The last part he said impatiently, waiting to pull Kit’s shirt off over his head. Kit obliged, relieved to be rid of it. Even with the heat turned down to accommodate him, it was still too warm in here. His pants fell off when Raine pushed them down to cup Kit’s ass in his palms.
“But weren’t you in the military?” Kit asked.
“Yes, but in my local colonial forces. They weren’t dicks.”
“Good to hear.”
“In fact I think there were more of us than you’d find in the general population. I guess something about the life appealed.” He shrugged.
“What? Living in a barracks room with a bunch of fit guys in uniform?” Sounded like Kit’s current life. “No, can’t imagine the appeal there.”
Raine laughed and kissed him again. “It’s good to see you, Kit. Even if I’ve been mad at you all day.”
“Mad? Why? What did I do?”
“You kept invading my mind. In the middle of a meeting with Commodore Wright and the captain, all I could think about was how I’d like to take you right there on the table.” He grinned sheepishly.
“Sounds like it would be the most interesting meeting any of them had attended. I’ve been thinking about you too. Wanting you. Want you now.” He pushed against Raine to make him sit on the bed and straddled him. “Want you inside me.”
Raine flushed, breathing harder already. He moved to take off his unbuttoned shirt, but Kit stopped him by laying a hand over his. “Leave it. And the pants. Unzip them.” Raine muttered something about messing his uniform up but didn’t object further. He unzipped, while Kit grabbed the lube and condoms from their usual drawer. He could find it even in the dark.
He passed them to Raine and said, “Okay, live the fantasy, soldier boy.”
It was as much Kit’s fantasy too. In a moment, they were prepared, and he slid down to impale himself on Raine’s cock. Kit’s cock rubbed against Raine’s belly, and the stimulation of the strong, wiry hair was most delightful.
“Oh God, Kit.”
“Shh. Do it.” He wrapped his arms around Raine’s neck, catching him on the ear with the damn tracker, but Raine didn’t seem to notice. His eyes glazed with pleasure as Kit started to move, riding him, building the rhythm steadily. Being on his feet all day in the galley seemed to have done some interesting things to his thigh muscles. He didn’t tire as quickly as he would have before. Judging by Raine’s reaction, the frantic desire in his eyes, it might have strengthened other muscles too.
He saw the time on the clock as he went faster and faster. Just hitting 0115. He’d be a wreck in the morning, and he didn’t care. He’d sacrifice any night’s sleep for this. Raine started to make the sounds Kit knew meant his orgasm was close, so Kit leaned down, wanting to be kissing him as he came. Seal it with a kiss. As their lips met, his orgasm whited out his mind, and he was no more than light and energy and pleasure.
He came to himself sprawled on the bunk on his back, with no memory of how he got there.
Okay, this is new
. Did he fall asleep or faint? He usually regained his senses quickly after coming, but this time he felt woozy and like he wanted to lie here for a few hours yet.
“Intense,” he said to himself, but Raine replied.
“Yes, it was.” Kit had to stretch around to see him coming out of the little bathroom, putting on his all too modest bathrobe, hiding his naked body. “The way you went limp afterward was quite flattering.”
“Take that damn robe off and come here.”
“I’m not sure I can go again yet.”
“Me neither, but I’m lonely over here.”
Raine shook his head, smiling. He joined Kit on the bunk, still with the bathrobe on, but undid it and wrapped them both in it when Kit pressed close to him. It felt good. Even in this warm room, the sweat drying on his skin chilled him, and it felt good to share body heat.
“I think I did my back in,” Kit said, shifting uncomfortably after a few minutes.
“Want me to rub it for you?”
Kit stared at him, surprised. “Um, really?”
“Something wrong?”
Kit shrugged. “Men like you don’t usually offer back rubs.”
“Well, I’m offering. You want one or not?”
Those big strong hands on his sore muscles? Hell yes, he wanted one. They shuffled their positions, Raine almost falling off the narrow bunk, making Kit laugh, until they got into a secure position. Raine knelt over Kit, who lay on his front, face pillowed on crossed arms. Raine started sweeping his hands over the long muscles of Kit’s back.
“You should do some strengthening exercises,” Raine said. “You’ve got a high center of gravity, which affects the way you carry yourself and affects the muscles.”
“I love it when you talk gym-porn at me.”
“Knock it off. I could draw you up a program if you like.”
“Yeah, sounds good.” He was no gym bunny, usually, aside from a treadmill session to burn off steam sometimes. But being in the gym would mean running into Raine more.
Did he want to? Didn’t he still find Raine an annoying bastard? He lay pondering this in silence for a while, feeling the last of the tension draining from his back muscles under Raine’s hands. The strong hands made a difference. Made it a real massage and not just a caress.
“Kit, what do you mean by men like me?”
“Mmm?”
“You said it before. ‘Men like you don’t offer backrubs.’ What type of man are you talking about?”
“You know. Authority figures. Guys who get to boss people around. The ones in charge who snap their fingers when they want you to jump…or bend over.”
“Oh.” Raine’s hands faltered for a moment. “And that’s what you think I am?”
“You’re the security chief. You’re an officer on this ship; you were an officer in the military.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Kit looked over his shoulder. “You weren’t?”
“I was only a sergeant.”
“Isn’t that an officer?”
“Of course not.”
“Okay, Sergeant Smug-boots, don’t roll your eyes at me. But even a sergeant does some bossing people around, right?”
“Oh, definitely. But I was an army ranger, and I spent a lot of time on long-range recon patrols, alone for weeks out in the desert sometimes.”
“Sounds pretty tough.”
Raine shrugged. “It’s just where I grew up. Guess I’m used to it. But yes, it’s an unforgiving environment. One wrong move and you’re dead. So anyway, the only things I got to boss around out there were rocks and lizards.”