Patrolling the Stars (Leaving Triad Series Book 2) Read online

  *****

  Drako laid awake all night, hating himself for what he’d said to Carolina. He wanted to apologize, but she wouldn’t even give him the time of day. He understood that, considering how rude he’d been, and only to find out that he couldn’t have been more wrong. Turk was right, ‘ass’ wasn’t a strong enough word for how he’d acted towards her.

  He wanted to make everything right between the two of them. As the night went on, he found himself wallowing in self-pity and self-hatred. He wished he’d just left the whole situation alone and taken Turk’s word for it. He forced his eyes shut, but sleep wouldn’t come for him.

  He pulled himself out of bed when his phone rang.

  “Yeah,” he answered it gruffly.

  “Come get some breakfast with me,” Turk’s voice rang out over the speaker.

  “I haven’t slept.”

  “You’re cranky whether you have or haven’t slept. Just get up and get some breakfast with me,” Turk demanded, and hung up with a click.

  Drako knew it was going to be a really long day for him. He didn’t want to go to breakfast, but he knew Turk wouldn’t let him get away with hiding in his room all morning. He dressed quickly and brushed his hair. He was almost relieved when he got to the restaurant and Carolina wasn’t there. He sat down across from Turk and signaled for the waitress.

  “A coffee, please,” he requested grumpily.

  “Sure, asshole.” The waitress glared at him and then stomped off.

  “Why are the waitresses glaring at me?”

  “You accused one of their friends of being a prostitute.”

  “I deserve their anger, and hers. I’m an asshole.” Drako didn’t say anything else as he waited for the waitress to bring him his coffee and drank from it quickly. Turk, for the first time in his life, was seeing actual remorse from his friend, who usually didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion of him. Turk felt sorry for him.

  “I have a date with Carolina tomorrow,” Turk informed him.

  Drako gave him a sour look, thinking his friend was trying to mock him. He drank from his coffee and looked around the restaurant to see if she was there yet. She wasn’t.

  “She’s not working today,” Turk said, realizing why Drako was looking around. “I do have an idea that might help you out, though.”

  Drako looked back at his friend, wondering what scheme he’d been concocting. He was hesitant to ask what Turk was thinking, but then he realized that no matter what he did, things couldn’t get any worse than they already were. “What’s this idea?” he asked.

  Turk smiled deviously, making Drako start to worry.

  Chapter Eight

  Drako started dressing for Turk’s date with Carolina. He couldn’t believe that he’d let Turk talk him into taking his spot, but he knew she wouldn’t give him the time of day otherwise. He was reluctant about tricking her, but there was no way in hell he wouldn’t jump at this chance.

  What was it about her that had him jumping through hoops just be near her? Was she beautiful? Yes, but he’d met many beautiful women before. Was she sexy? Hell yes, but again he’d bedded many women who were just as sexy. Maybe it was because he’d unintentionally hurt her feelings. Carolina was gentle and tenderhearted. When they talked for hours, she seemed to hang on his every word, making him feel like he was the only man alive. He liked that feeling, and the thought that she might find that with someone else made him uneasy. He didn’t like it.

  He had the option of leaving the ship and not resolving things with Carolina, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The hurt look on her face kept him up at night.

  Maybe tonight would resolve these strange feelings he had. He would apologize to her, and make amends if he could. If she was willing to give him a second chance, they could go on a date or two before he left. He was positive he could get her out of his system after a good banging. Only, she was a virgin so the banging wasn’t going to happen. Fuck, he was tied up in knots over a virgin.

  His phone rang, breaking Drako from his thoughts abruptly. “Yeah.”

  “She cancelled. She said she didn’t feel comfortable with me anymore because of my friendship with you.” Turk’s voice boomed from his phone.

  “Fuck.” Drako should’ve known this plan wasn’t going to work out. “Okay man, thanks for trying.” Turk didn’t respond, but the line was still open. “Turk?”

  There was a knock at his door. He didn’t get a chance to open it before Turk walked in. “I have another idea for you,” he said hanging up his phone.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be flying this thing?” Drako griped, wondering why Turk had called him if he was already on his way to Drako’s suite. He hung up his phone and put it in his back pocket.

  “Nah, I have someone else taking care of it for right now.” He waved off Drako’s concern. “Put in another application with a fake name, and give her your room phone number instead of your cell. I can drop the application off for you.”

  “Why are you being so helpful?” Drako asked, already writing down a fake name and starting to fill out the application slightly differently than he had the first time.

  “Let’s just say that I’m hoping to change things around for my own karma.”

  Turk left as soon as Drako finished writing, and took the application with him.

  Drako needed to do something to occupy his time. He took out his palm computer and typed up his report on the Brave Star. He’d found no evidence of maltreatment on board. He pulled up the next ship he was to investigate. There’d been a few reports about that captain; he requested a background check on her. Before he knew it, three hours had passed.

  “Hi Mr. Chase, this is Carolina Andiva calling. I received your application, and I was wondering if you’re free to meet with me tonight?” Her voice sounded so heavenly over the phone.

  “Yes, that would be great,” he said, trying to make his voice sound deeper than it was.

  “Great, see you at the restaurant at five.” Click, she was gone. That was her way. She rarely lingered on the phone.

  Drako couldn’t help but feel excited about getting to see her tonight after all. He knew that she would probably run the moment she laid eyes on him, so he had to do something to keep her at the restaurant long enough for him to talk to her. He went down to the gift shop on the spaceship and found a beautiful bouquet of galactic lilies. They were dark blue, with white spots all over that looked like stars.

  He went to the restaurant early and sat at the bar, watching the news on the T.V... They were doing a report on the growth of the sun in the Triad galaxies. He felt terrible for the people who were still on the surrounding planets. From what the newscast said, the sun had now tripled its original size. Soon nothing living would exist in the Triad galaxy. It was a shame. At the same time, he would never have met Carolina if she hadn’t had to evacuate the area.

  *****

  Carolina dressed her best for her new client. For some reason she felt that if she looked better, nothing would go wrong, even though she knew it wasn’t true. She walked to the restaurant and found a table to wait at. She saw Drako walk in out of the corner of her eye and looked away quickly. There was no way she could get up and walk out without him seeing her.

  She heard him sit down in front of her. She looked up, and immediately wished she hadn’t. He was so damn sexy. “What are you doing? I’m waiting for a client.”

  “Yeah, that’s me, Seamus Chase,” Drako answered.

  “You tricked me.” She glared at him as she started to stand up.

  “You gave me no choice,” he said grabbing her hand gently, but firmly, he placed the flowers in her hand. “Please just hear me out,” Drako pleaded her with his beautiful eyes.

  How was she supposed to resist him when he looked at her like that? She couldn’t storm away and make another scene. She sat back down reluctantly, looking at the gorgeous flowers. Giving flowers to a woman was one of the things she taught her clients to do. Drako had done i
t without instruction, because he wanted to. The least she could do was let him have his say.

  “Okay, you have five minutes.”

  “I’m sorry, Carolina. I should’ve just told you why I was here from the very beginning instead of assuming the worst.”

  “Damn straight. I would never do the things you thought me capable of,” she said angrily.

  “I really am sorry I hurt you. That wasn’t my intention. I was given this assignment, and when I discovered you had an escort service, my first thought was of what an escort service usually provides…”

  “It’s not an escort service, it’s a liaison service.”

  “I assumed the worst. Please forgive me.”

  The sorrow he felt shone through his eyes. Carolina knew that he meant it, he was really apologizing.

  “You called me a prostitute, Drako, do you know how bad that hurt me? I haven’t even… I just wouldn’t do that!” She said with emotion in her voice.

  Drako looked at her sincerely. “You’re a wonderful person, and I should’ve seen that right from the beginning. If I’d talked to you about my suspicions from the start, this could have been handled very differently. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness; I was a complete ass. I just ask that you let me make it up to you somehow.”

  “I don’t know…" she hesitated, and he jumped on that hesitation.

  “I swear I’ll make this right with you before I leave,” Drako said quickly. He never wanted to screw up like that again.

  “Okay,” Carolina answered.

  “So you’ll take me back on as a client?”

  “No,” she didn’t hesitate at all with this answer.

  “Why not?”

  “I can’t have a client that I have feelings for,” she said nervously.

  “So you still hate me?”

  “I hate what you said and what you did, but I don’t hate you. I have other feelings for you, Drako,” Carolina replied cautiously.

  Drako gave her a dazzling smile. She felt her stomach flutter, and her breathing increased. The waitress came over and took their order, and the two of them sat in silence while they waited for their food.

  Carolina couldn’t believe she’d just told Drako that she actually had feelings for him. She stayed quiet, unsure what else to say. She’d thought about leaving after she heard his apology, but then the waitress had come and asked for her order. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until then. She was nervous about what to do now; this wasn’t like her at all. As a professional liaison, she knew what to tell her clients to do: keep the conversation going, but at the same time allow a little bit of silence in between to appreciate one another. It suddenly seemed harder to take her own advice.

  Drako seemed at a loss for words, too. Even after the food came it was just silence. Neither of them knew what to say until they’d finished eating.

  “Would you like to leave? I can walk you home now, if you want?”

  He was giving her an out, but Carolina found that she didn’t want to leave. “No, I’ll stay for another drink.”

  “I’m not a client, Carolina; you don’t have to pretend like you want to be here.” He looked anxious, just as anxious as she was, which strangely made her feel a little more at ease.

  “I know. So, you have more ships to investigate when you leave here?” She was going to make an effort to get to know the real him.

  “Yes, but I don’t have to leave right away. I’d like to see you while I’m here. Not as a client — I’d love date you for real.”

  She could say no, leave, and never look back, but the thought of never seeing him again tore something inside of her. Carolina had been alone for way too long. Her job always got in the way of her relationships, and she felt things for this man that she’d never felt for anyone else. She wanted to see where those feelings might lead. They finished their drinks, and he stood up, leaving money on the table for their food.

  “I can pay for mine,” she said, realizing that he’d thrown down enough money to pay for both of their plates.

  “It’s fine,” he said smiling at her.

  She grabbed the flowers he’d brought for her and started out the door. They walked in silence all the way back to her suite, but this time it was more comfortable. He turned to her and gave her a warm smile as soon as they got to her door.

  “Thank you.” She said, unsure of why that came out of her mouth.

  “For what?” He questioned.

  “Apologizing.” She answered.

  “Thank you for accepting.” He said as he looked into her eyes, “You have the most alluring brown eyes I’ve ever seen.” Drako glanced down at Carolina’s lips in longing. She had her back to her door, and he leaned in closer. His body was just a few inches from her, and she could feel the heat from him.

  “I want to kiss you.”

  She looked up at him in surprise. His lips were so close to hers. She longed for him to do just that, but he didn’t. He was waiting for her.

  “Okay.”

  As soon as she finished speaking, she felt his lips pressed against hers. Carolina closed her eyes and opened her mouth to him. Drako took his time nibbling on her lower lips before he entered her mouth and teased her tongue. It felt so good, she couldn’t help but moan. The sound must have spurred him on, because he gripped her waist and pulled her to him, deepening the kiss. When he finally pulled away, she felt herself sway, afraid that her legs might collapse.

  “Good night.” He backed up a few steps, then turned and walked away.

  “Good night,” she whispered, watching him leave. She touched her lips and felt a thrill go through her whole body. If Drako could make her feel like she this after one kiss, what would it be like to make love with him? She might not survive it.

  *****

  Drako walked back toward his room with a spring in his step and wood in his pants. After only one kiss, he was so stiff he had to be careful not to hurt himself. He’d been attracted to her before, but now he knew he had to have her. She was so sweet and responsive. The thought that no other man had ever had her made him feel protective and possessive of her. Why did she have this affect on him?

  When he tasted her sweet mouth, every good and decent intention went right out the shuttle bay. He wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off and take her right there in the corridor, up against her door. That wasn’t the place for her first time, in public where anyone would see her.

  No, he wanted her first time to be special, on a bed — preferably his bed. He would take his time loving her body, showing her what sex should be like between two lovers with affection and desire. Then he would show her how deep his passion for her ran. He would end the night with her screaming for him to give her more. His cock rubbed against his pants very uncomfortably.

  He hopped into a cold shower, hoping to make it go away, but the mental image of her in the shower with him had his shaft full and hard again. Even the icy water wasn’t cold enough to get rid of the heat she made him feel. He wanted to feel her body pressed against his, her hands and mouth all over his skin. He just wanted Carolina.

  *****

  Carolina was left with urges that she’d never felt before. God, Drako’s lips felt so good against hers. She should have let herself go further; she sure as hell wished she had as she laid in her bed, craving Drako’s body pressed up against hers, his lips roaming her body just as much as his hands. The desire kept building inside of her until her whole body ached. She tried to touch herself, but it only gave her a little relief. She tossed and turned most of the night. When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed of making love to Drako.

  Chapter Nine

  Drako woke in the morning still thinking about Carolina and the way her lips had tasted and felt against his. She was absolutely perfect: her looks, her scent, and even her taste. He wanted — needed — more of her. He couldn’t resist, and for the first time in his life he realized he actually wanted a serious relationship with a woman.

  He s
tared at his phone intently, moving to dial her number but stopping before he punched the first key. Was it too soon to call her? His phone rang, and it startled him so much he fumbled to catch it before it dropped to the floor.

  “Yeah,” Drako answered

  “How did it go?” Turk’s voice came over the phone.

  “She didn’t run away, so that’s a good sign. I apologized, and we did have dinner. She’s willing to spend time with me.”

  “Did you kiss?”

  “I’m not telling. Why are you calling me so early, anyway?”

  Turk laughed. “You did kiss her! Good job, buddy. I thought you might like to join me for breakfast. You’ll be leaving soon, and I figured since your investigation is over we could hang out before you’re off again.”

  “I’ll be down in fifteen minutes.”

  *****

  “You accepted his apology after the way he treated you?” Thesos asked the next morning. He looked confused.

  “Thesos! It’s not our place to say anything.” Mary tapped his shoulder. Then she turned back to Carolina. “But you told him you weren’t seeing him anymore, right?”

  “Well … I told him that I couldn’t see him as a client because I had feelings for him.”

  Mary and Thesos were silent for a moment as they stared at her like she’d lost her mind. Finally, Thesos couldn’t hold back any longer.

  “You said what?”

  “Honey, you need to get to work, or you’ll be late.” Mary practically dragged him to the door.

  “We’re still taking Melanie to dinner later?” he asked glancing, between Mary and Carolina, still looking puzzled.

  “Yes, six o’clock sharp, so don’t be late.” Mary leaned up and kissed him gently. Thesos used all his arms to gently but firmly pull her closer and deepened the kiss. When four of Thesos’s hands reached down and cupped Mary’s ass, things started getting out of hand, literally.