Illicit Mate (Abducted 4)

Reluctantly, the women sat down again, eyeing Casey nervously.

Darrick leaned back in his chair. “Don’t you have to report for duty, Casey?”

Casey stared at Darrick, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the even darker cloud of bitterness in their depths. He was trying to push her away, but she wouldn’t let him.

“Darrick, we need to talk. Privately. We can’t leave things the way they are.”

He scowled, but tipped back his drink, draining the contents, then signaled for another.

His comm unit bleeped and he turned his wrist to glance at it.

He stood up. “Sorry, ladies. I have to go.”

He stepped past Casey and strode from the room.

“Casey,” Linet said. “You don’t have to worry about Selea and me. We don’t know what’s going on with the two of you and how the Earth woman fits in, but we know that you and Darrick are in love. We’d never come between you.”

“He’s confused right now,” Selea said, “and getting himself into trouble. We’re concerned about him and were trying to have a friendly talk with him. It looks like he might have gone too far, though, b

ecause I saw that the message he just received was to report to the captain.”

“Oh, no,” Linet said. “I heard rumors that he might be reassigned to another ship. We’ll be rendezvousing with the Yansome in a couple of days.”

Casey’s chest clenched. The thought of Darrick disappearing from her life indefinitely, maybe forever, made her heart sink.

Casey walked back to her quarters at the end of her shift, looking forward to seeing Jenna again, longing to snuggle into her arms. Yesterday she’d found Jenna wearing one of Casey’s shirts and nothing else, with only one button fastened. Casey was taller than Jenna so everything was covered, but the woman had kept teasing Casey with glimpses of satiny flesh until Casey had grown a pair, backed her against the wall and driven into her, taking Jenna hard until she screamed in ecstasy. It had been thrilling.

The only issue was that Casey wanted to be the recipient of that kind of potent sex sometimes, too.

Worry about Darrick had been heavy on her mind the whole time she’d been on duty, but she’d kept her focus and tried not to think about it.

Now she stood outside her door, knowing she’d have to tell Jenna about Darrick’s struggles and the fact he might disappear from their lives. At least she’d been able to build years of memories with Darrick. Jenna would only have that one night together to remember.

“Hi,” Jenna said as Casey stepped inside.

Casey’s gaze shifted to Jenna, who sat on the couch with a tablet in her hand. Jenna smiled at Casey as she stood up and walked toward her, abandoning the tablet on the cushions. Casey’s heart thumped as Jenna slid her arms around Casey and gave her a big hug. Casey returned the hug, squeezing her tight.

“Hey, what’s happened?” Jenna asked.

Casey loosened her hold and Jenna tipped her head with a smile. She ran her fingertips along Casey’s cheek, then stroked some loose hair behind her ear. The gentle touch and caring look in her lovely blue eyes made Casey’s heart swell.

She slid her arm around Jenna’s waist and they walked to the couch and sat down together.

“I ran into the commander and he has concerns about Darrick. It seems Darrick’s been having problems dealing with his feelings and getting into trouble.”

“How bad?”

Casey gritted her teeth. “I heard rumors that he might be transferred off the ship.”

The look of shock and dismay on Jenna’s face rivaled Casey’s own tumultuous feelings.

Casey’s comm unit chimed and she glanced at it.

“It’s Darrick. He wants to talk.”

CHAPTER 13

As soon as Darrick stepped into Casey’s quarters and saw Casey and Jenna waiting there for him, his heart clenched. His gaze lingered on Casey’s taut expression and the glow of concern in her violet eyes. Then shifted to Jenna’s lovely heart-shaped face. Casey, whom he’d known most of his life, and Jenna, whom he’d only known for days. Both stirred in him an unbidden desire that was strong enough to topple his resistance.