“Your place or mine?” Kat asked, stifling a yawn as they crossed the upper skywalk to the dorms. Lee huffed a laugh as she lolled her head against his shoulder, adjusting his grip on her once more.
“Let’s get you to sleep.” There was no way they were getting anything on, she’d be passed out cold in minutes. But he would ensure she made it there first.
They had the floors to themselves tonight. The overhead lights had long since dimmed to the night’s afterglow. Their steps slowed to a light shuffling as they reached her portal door. But when he went to kiss her goodnight, she gave him that pouty face of hers, her bottom lip jutting out just so.
Shaking his head at his own lack of discipline, he followed her inside. Only for a moment, he told himself.
He was slow to turn as she tugged at the zipper on the front of her all-terrain suit, lazily dragging the last length of treated metal teeth to just below her naval. And although her mind approached delirium, her expression soft in the lowlights, he could just make out the swelling of her pupils beneath their lashed exterior at his lingering attention.
A low hum came from her throat, and she swayed slightly on her feet, her tongue grazing that plump bottom lip.
“Kat, I don’t think—”
But as she tugged at that first sleeve, he whipped his head around to face away from her, the rest of his body following. He swallowed, deeply, as the sound of the flexible material sliding over her shoulder blades met his ears, his face burning.Void.
He was unable to physically stop himself from glancing over his shoulder when he heard the clump of material slap against the floor.
She was so beautiful. Her skin pale like moonlight. Her body trimmed and strong, but still soft, somehow, like a willow in summertime. His eyes glided over the gentle dips and curves of her thighs and hips.
She wore a simple, elastic band across her chest, more for function than for modesty—Kat didn’t care. But his eyes widened as he scouted the gentle dip across them before she padded over to her closet, not a fret in her dream-induced world.
Whipping his head down to the floor, he forced his eyes to latch onto a corner of her faded pink comforter, gluing them tothezappingthing for all he was worth while he waited for her to pull on some clothes.
He’d explored her some—a generous amount. And up until lately, usually above the thick all-terrain fabric.
But tonight—he was this close to snapping. One more peek at that amoureux look on her face… one more humming guttural sound from her throat, and it would all be over for him.
He wanted her. That was obvious. He adjusted the leg of his all-terrain suit. Too obvious.
He coughed lightly as she came up behind him, wrapping both arms across his stomach. This was his favorite touch, he’d decided, when she clung to him, pressing herself wholly upon him, and he could feel the breaths as they entered her chest, and her fluttering heart pounding.
They stood there while he let her hold him, falling victim to the feel of her against him. Like he was the only thing in the world she lived for. Because in reverse, she was the only thing worth living for.
He ended the embrace, gently tugging her around to his arms, when he spotted the star flower in the window. Of all the messes cluttering her room, the window bay remained clear, cared for, and devoid of the usual chaos beseeching her attention.
When she scuttled down onto her bed, lightly patting the spot beside her, he followed her, but didn’t lie down. Instead, he leaned over to the window, carefully rotating the pot a quarter-turn until faint beams of starlight illuminated its delicate petals.
“Seriously, all this time?” Kat complain-moaned, moving to sit up beside him. “I thought I was giving it everything it needed. I didn’t know about the rotating…”
“Shh.” Lee chuckled quietly, gently pushing her back down with a hand. He left it there with her, too, wrapped around both of her own, their hands resting against her heart.
“It has everything it needs, I promise you,” he whispered.
“You’re sure…” she breathed, real worry lines present on her restful face.
Lee just squeezed her hands in confirmation.
“Good. Cuz I’m pretty sure I’m its new favorite anyway.” Her words trailed off with the last of the uncertainty, gone as quickly as it had poured in. She rolled towards him as her eyes fluttered all the way closed.
Still clutching her hands, he knelt down on the floor beside her, running his other hand softly through her hair, the loose tendrils splayed across her pillow in a vanilla-blonde starburst.
CHAPTER 31: KAT
KAT STARED out the star-flecked window of the training room they’d configured to mirror one of their cruisers for today’s exercise, while her former muse blinked back at her. The stars had always been her compass. Her pacesetter. Her guide. Even when they’d pulled and hastened her along, she’d always felt like they were watching out for her. Shining for her.
She used to get excited, staring out these windows and imagining all of the adventures she would have with Lee. The star systems they would visit and the lives they would bless.
She was helping to prepare her cadets—in this very room, at this exact moment with the pre-raid crash course—to go out one day on raids of their own. Simulating real raid scenarios with borrowed parameters and missions and emotions. They were learning to protect the galaxy. To preserve life.
