The Stowaway (5 page)

“You sure everything’s all right?” Arek asked, sounding concerned.

Oh, yeah! Everything’s very all right.
At least it could be. The assumptions he’d made about the attraction he’d seen between Arek and Rachel had morphed into something else entirely now. And he wanted it. Desperately.

Trouble was, he wasn’t sure how to go about getting it.

Carefully. Very, very carefully.

“Everything’s fine. We’ll be right up,” Devlynn said, realising Arek was still waiting for him to respond.

Locking off the comm-link with a quick tap of his data pad, he noticed Rachel was still staring at him.

“So…ah…shall we?”

Rachel continued to study him for a moment. Then a sweet, tentative smile curved her lips up at the corners, making Devlynn’s already filling cock uncomfortably hard.

“Yeah. I…I think I’d like that.”

It was obvious she wasn’t talking about heading back to the cockpit by the way she continued to look at him.

Devlynn had the feeling they were all about to get in way over their heads. It was encouraging to see Rachel step up to face it rather than try to ignore the possibilities. But he had a feeling Arek was going to be a whole different story.

Falling into step beside one another, their bodies ‘accidentally’ brushing as they walked side-by-side, they headed down the corridor and back towards the front of the ship. Scenarios and plans fought for space in Devlynn’s head. They needed to slowly ease Arek into the idea of something happening between them. Maybe if Arek was focused on Rachel—

“So what’s with you and Arek?” Rachel suddenly asked.

Devlynn stiffened. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised. He’d only just finished thinking how much he liked Rachel’s propensity for tackling life head on. Damn if it wasn’t a bit disconcerting right now, though. He wasn’t sure he could share his long denied feelings for Arek—wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to. Which was really heartbreaking in a way.

“What about us?” Devlynn hedged—vying for time, hoping she’d lose interest in perusing the subject.

“Come on. You know I’ve been watching the two of you. How long have you been together?”

“We grew up together,” Devlynn replied tightly, but he should have known Rachel wouldn’t accept such a lame-assed answer.

“You know that’s not what I was asking.”

Devlynn felt himself begin to squirm in earnest. “It’s not like that.”

Rachel turned her head—concentrating on him in that intense way she had. Normally it was exciting to watch her inquiring mind at work. Right now it was terrifying.

“You want it to be.”

It wasn’t a question. Which was just as well, because Devlynn had absolutely no idea how to answer.

How the hell did she see so much when Arek had been blind for years?

Perhaps it was because Arek had been purposefully blind. It was a niggling fear that had gnawed at Devlynn’s heart and made a coward out of him for years. Wondering what would happen if there ever came a time when Arek couldn’t pretend not to see? Not to know?

Rachel didn’t press him for more, and he was obscenely grateful as they continued on in silence—his mind a chaotic mess of what if’s and maybe’s and what might never be.

“Wow! Look at that!” Rachel gasped, stopping to stare out of one of the viewports.

The edge of the solar storm could be seen in a long ribbon of colour dancing off the port bow. It rolled and rippled in a swirl of multi-chromatic brilliance—yellow, red, green and blue and all the colours in between. A spontaneous explosion of energy that was a frequent visitor in the unstable fringe of the sector.

Grateful for the distraction, Devlynn shrugged. He’d seen hundreds of solar storms over the years. And not all of them from the right side either.

“Don’t you think it’s spectacular?” Rachel looked shocked at his nonchalant attitude.

“One solar storm’s pretty much like another.”

“What? How can you say that?”

“Sixteen years of deep space travel.”

“Oh! Well…okay. But…I still think you’re wrong. I mean…just look at it. It’s…amazing.”

Devlynn couldn’t look. He couldn’t take his eyes off the wonder on her animated face as she watched the cosmic display move and twist and swirl away.

Rachel turned back to him, bubbling over with excitement and everything…stopped.

He wasn’t sure what she saw on his face, but gradually her broad smile turned into something deep, sensual and serious. With infinitely slow and cautious movements she reached up and touched the side of his face—her small hand caressing along his slightly stubble-roughened cheek.

“Life’s too short not to stop and check out amazing things, don’t you think?” she breathed.

Rachel held his face steady. He could’ve pulled away at any time, but he found he really didn’t want to. Then she leant forward and pressed her lips very gently to his. It was sweet and tender. Nothing demanding or aggressive. More a question really.

It felt so right. So good and real. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shared the intimacy of a kiss. Completely ensnared, Devlynn pressed forward—offering a gentle caress with his lips in return. Savouring the exquisite moment of connection. Of their own accord, his hands pulled Rachel closer. The feeling of her running her hands up his arms and onto his shoulders, of her leaning into him, pressing her soft breasts into his hard chest as they kissed drove his need higher. He reached forward with the tip of his tongue, wanting to explore where their lips met. Wanting—

“Dev, what’s—”

Devylnn and Rachel broke apart at the sound of Arek’s voice, but not before the man rounded the corner of the corridor and stopped dead in his tracks.

No one moved or spoke—too shocked even to breathe. They just stared.

Then Arek’s face became a hard, flat mask devoid of any expression. Without a word he spun on his heels and walked away.

Devlynn felt his heart lunge in his chest, before settling into a fast, panicked rhythm.

“Arek! Wait!”

But Arek kept going. Refusing to look back at them.

Arek concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

Get to the cockpit. Check the flight plan. Where can we save time?

But no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the mess left behind by seeing Devlynn kissing Rachel, Rachel kissing Devlynn—whatever—bubbled and writhed inside until he wanted to haul off and hit something.

Fuck. He wasn’t sure what he felt right now. Hurt. Angry. Betrayed. Jealous. Turned on. And the really fucked up thing was he wasn’t sure who was responsible for which feeling.

Did it hurt that Devlynn was kissing Rachel, or that Rachel was kissing Devlynn? Was it jealousy at seeing them together or petulance that they hadn’t included him that was digging its claws into his chest? Or was he just angry that he hadn’t seen it coming? Bitter because he’d listened to Devlynn earlier and started…thinking?

Or was the real problem the fact he’d decided—as he sat in the cockpit getting his thoughts together—that he wouldn’t pursue anything with Rachel because he didn’t want Devlynn to feel left out? Didn’t want him to be isolated and alone as the odd-man-out?

It looked like he’d got the players wrong in that little scenario. In his version, he’d decided to invite Rachel to stay, but he’d thought they could all cruise along much as he and Devlynn had done for so long—best friends and comrade-in-arms.

Maybe he was just feeling plain stupid right now.

“Damn it, Arek! Just stop and listen for a minute!” Devlynn demanded behind him.

“It’s none of my damn business what you two get up to. Just remember what I said. Don’t go getting too attached.”

Devlynn caught hold of his arm and forced him to stop and turn to face him.

“Are you saying you’re not going to let Rachel stay?”

“Did I say that?” Arek shot back.

Honestly, he didn’t know what he was saying right now. And he was trying hard not to think. Too painful.

“No, you didn’t, but—”

“All I’m saying is it’s not a good idea to get involved. To get attached to people. You’re no good to me if you get distracted and can’t focus on the job.”

Devlynn looked as if he’d just been sucker punched. All the colour drained from his face, leaving his normally tanned complexion pale and drawn.

“You…I—” Devlynn blinked a few times, then the pain and anguish in his eyes changed to anger. “You really are an asshole sometimes you know that, Arek.”

Without another word, Devlynn turned and stomped away. Heading back the way he had come towards the engine room.

“Devlynn!” But Devlynn just ignored him and kept right on going. “What the fuck was that all about?”

“Do you really not know?” Rachel asked softly.

He hadn’t even realised she’d been standing there—too caught up in Devlynn and watching him walk away.

“Know what?” Arek snapped.

“How much you just hurt him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You just shut him out. Said you didn’t care about him, just what he does for you and the ship.”

“What? When? I never—”

“Don’t get involved. Don’t get attached. Don’t get distracted. How long has Devlynn been with you? By your side. Every day. Do you really think it’s just about the job?”

“I never said that!”

“You and Devlynn need to stop prowling around one another. You’re going to miss out on something good if you’re not honest with yourselves and each other.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look I’m…I’m not trying to come between you and Devlynn.”

“It’s not like—”

“But it could be.”

“I don’t—”

Rachel put her hand up to silence him.

“What do you want, Arek? ‘Cause I’m saying it doesn’t have to be either or neither, but you’ve got to decide what you want.” Rachel suddenly faltered, her eyes going wide. “That is…I mean if you want…I mean it doesn’t have to…” Rachel stopped and took a deep breath. “There isn’t any reason why one of us has to be…left out, but you have to work out what you want and you need to tell us all what it is.”

Arek blinked at her, totally at a loss for words…or two coherent functioning brain cells to rub together. They’d all gone out for lunch apparently—abandoning him to his fate and the crazy woman standing in front of him.

“Wha…? You…?” Arek shook his head and growled in exasperation, his hands clenching into fists at his side. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

“A few intelligent, preferably considerate thought processes would be nice. Just answer me this, do you want to be lonely your whole life?”

“Who the fuck said I was lonely?”

“You’re keeping everyone at a distance.”

“Getting too close just fucks everything up.”

“So what do you want, Arek? You need to decide if you want to stay at a distance or…come closer.”

“There didn’t look like there was any room for me in what I saw in the corridor.”

“Do you want there to be?”

Arek clamped his jaw shut, trying to hold it together. Not trusting himself enough to open his mouth right now.

Rachel didn’t back down. In fact, she took a step closer. “What. Do. You. Want?”

Arek snapped. He slammed his mouth down over hers. It felt good. Hard. Demanding. Aggressive. And Rachel gave every bit as good as she got. Meeting him thrust for thrust and nip for delicious nip.

It was so right. And he instantly felt like he was betraying Devlynn. What had started off as a way to shut her up had turned out to be so much more. And wasn’t that just fucked right up.

Arek stumbled back, putting some much needed distance between them. “I can’t do this.”

Before he’d taken more than a few steps, Rachel’s soft, steely voice stopped him in his tracks.

“I like Devlynn, Arek. Whatever you decide…I won’t let you hurt him again.”

Arek saw red. Never in a million years would he hurt Devlynn. He moved to loom over her.

“Where the fuck do you—”

The entire ship suddenly rocked with the force of an explosion, sending Rachel tumbling forward into his arms. He caught her easily, pulling her close to hold her securely against his body.

The warning klaxon blared to life and echoed off the tight confines of the corridor.

“Fuck!”

“What’s going on?” Rachel asked, looking both shocked and perhaps a little frightened.

“We’re under attack.”

Devlynn rushed into the cockpit—out of breath and sweating. He’d run flat out from the engine room as soon as he’d felt the first explosion rock the ship. After years of experience with deep space conflicts, he knew the characteristic sound of a torpedo impacting on ray shielding. The anger, hurt and need to stay well away from Arek for a while was completely overridden by a deeply engrained instinct to work with the man to survive.

Suddenly a burst of phaser fire buffeted them from the port side.