Atonement (Earth Evolution Series Book 3) Page 7

  “The tour was just wonderful, dear. Liam and Thomas showed me everything there was to see I think, except the inside of a fighter ship, although Thomas really wanted to go there next. I was feeling a little out of breath so we stopped by the med facility here to get an oxygen treatment. Those things really put a pep in my step.”

  She felt relieved that Mrs. Gordon was okay. “Where’s Thomas?”

  “He asked if he could stay with Jared for little bit. They’re building a new model ship in Jared’s office. He said that he would bring him home when they were done.” Mrs. Gordon answered eyeing the two handsome warriors walking past them. She tried to hide her smile but Mrs. Gordon caught it and gave her a wink. “I may be old but I’m not dead yet. Although, I am a little tired. Come Liam, take me back please.”

  “Of course.” Liam put out his arm for Mrs. Gordon to take and the older woman simply glowed with happiness. Lily had worried that being on an alien ship surrounded aliens might be too much for her, but now she realized it was the best decision she had ever made. Mrs. Gordon was full of life and excitement. It might be what kept her going much longer than the medikos predicted.

  She turned to enter the Mediko. There was only one mediko visible, it was that woman that always gave her the stink eye when she came to work with Jared. “Hi Mediko Lazar. I just stopped to pick up Thomas.”

  Tinley Lazar barely glanced at her as she waved her hand to the back hallway leading to Jared’s office. “Good, he’s been keeping Jared from important work.”

  Lily looked around at the empty beds in the room. There were no patients present. What busy work was she talking about? She also didn’t like the other woman’s tone. “Well, Jared is a grown man, if he needs to get work done he could have sent Thomas back home with Liam and Mrs. Gordon.”

  “Jared is just too sweet and kind a man to do something like that. He has a soft spot for orphan children. I know he’ll make a wonderful father of his own children one day. He just needs the right woman to settle him down.”

  It was the smile on the woman’s face that made every hair on her body stand up. This bitch had slept with, or was still fucking Jared. Lily’s dislike for the woman tripled. She wasn’t going to let anyone get one over on her. “I know, he’s always so good spending time with my Thomas. They are like two peas in a pod. Oh, that’s an Earth saying that means they are practically inseparable. Thomas just loves and Jared treats us like family.”

  She may have been pushing some buttons, but nothing she said was untrue. Thomas did love Jared and they had been spending a lot of time together. What she said must have hit a nerve because the other woman dropped the metal pan she was holding.

  “By the way, Thomas isn’t an orphan, he has me, Maggie and pretty much the entire Estro clan. Have a good day.” She gave a wide smile and turned to head toward the hallway. Tinley said something that must have been a Drastan curse. Lily didn’t know what it meant but Tinley’s tone was sort of frustrated and hateful. She stopped just outside the door of Jared’s office and smiled listening to the two of them laughing.

  “Thomas that is not where the wing goes, but you are very creative. Maybe you will create a completely different type of ship.”

  “Do you think I could?”

  “I think you could be whatever you want, even commander of the fleet one day.”

  “That’s what grandpa Devlon says.” Thomas said with excitement. Lily smiled. All the Estro men had taken a liking to Thomas spending time with him. It surprised her that the older father Devlon treated Thomas like he was his grandson insisting that Thomas call him grandfather.

  “Well, he’s the commander and he would know another commander when he sees one.” Jared replied easily. “Thomas, there’s something I would like to ask you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I like your mother a great deal and I would like your permission to court her officially.”

  Lily was stunned. Jared was asking Thomas if he could date her. It had to be the sweetest thing she had ever heard. Tears snuck up on her, and she had to wipe them away quickly. She peeked her head around the door so she could look inside at them. Thomas had a serious look on his face.

  “What does courting mean? Is it like dating? I’ve heard Maggie and Liam talk about date nights and stuff.”

  “I think courting is the same as dating. It means I’ll be spending a lot of time with your mom.” Jared answered Thomas’s questions with such patience.

  “Will you hurt her like Taylor did?”

  Jared blinked down at him in horrified surprise. “Of course not. I didn’t realize that man hurt your mother.”

  “Well, he was okay with her, but it was me he didn’t want. He told me once that I was in the way and that my mom would be happier if I wasn’t around. Mommy cried and told him she didn’t want to see him anymore. She doesn’t know I saw her cry. Am I a burden?”

  Lily wanted to rush to her son, but Jared lifted the boy in his arms and hugged him. “That is what the Earth slang calls—bullshit. You are your mother’s whole world and she would be devastated if something ever happened to you. Taylor was just jealous over how important you are to your mom, and he was trying to come between you two. I don’t want to come between you. I know how much having a mom means. My mom once told me that her children were her legacy and that nothing was more precious to her than seeing them grow up strong and happy. Your mom feels that way about you too, and she’s a wonderful mother.”

  “You don’t think I’ll be in the way if you want to date my mom? What if I don’t want you to date her, will we still be friends?”

  “I will always be your friend no matter what and you are already a part of my family whether I date your mother or not. I promise you that I will be there for you and your mother to help in anyway I can. I want both of you in my life.”

  “Okay then.” Thomas smiled up at him.

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah, you can date my mom.”

  “Thank you, Thomas.” Jared patted his shoulder.

  “If you ever hurt her, I’ll kick your ass.” Thomas warned him. Lily had to choke back a half laugh half cry. She would have to talk to Thomas about his language but that was sweet.

  Jared crossed his heart with his finger. “Cross my heart to always be good to your mother and you.”

  “So will you marry her?” Thomas asked.

  Lily needed to interrupt this. She knocked loudly on the door before stepping into the room. “Hey little man, you ready for a nap?”

  “Ah mom, commanders don’t take naps.”

  “Well this one does.” She turned to Jared who stood up and faced her. His eyes looked her over and she shivered with excitement. He wants to date me. She felt like a teenage girl with a crush. “Thanks for spending time with him.”

  “It’s no problem at all. I love spending time with him.”

  The great thing was, he really meant it. “Would you like to come over for dinner tonight, around nineteen hundred?”

  He smiled and it made the world spin around her a little. “I would love to come for dinner.”

  “Yay! Can you bring another model for us to build?” Thomas asked jumping up and down with excitement.

  Lily shook her head, “Thomas—”

  “I have a puzzle that we can all work on. It’s very complicated and I need someone as smart as you and your mom to help me figure it out.”

  Lily smiled at him shyly. “We’ll look forward to it. Thomas say goodbye.”

  “Bye Jared!”

  “See you later Thomas, Lily.”

  “Later,” she whispered.

  Her heart was beating so fast and her palms felt sweaty. That man was just too sexy for his own good. She was relieved that bitch Tinley wasn’t still in the other room as they left. Whatever had been between Tinley and Jared was over. Lily had to trust that Jared was only interested in her. Trusting someone was scary, just like Maggie had said, but she wanted to have someone in her life for her and for Thomas an
d if she was going to take the risk for anyone, it would be for Jared, he was worth the risk.

  Chapter 15

  “Report?” Commander Devlon Estro demanded once his son Liam sat down across from him.

  “It’s quiet, too quiet. We’ve heard that the resistance rebels have been having meetings in the tunnels and some reported meetings in the domes, but we can’t find them. They move around and never meet in the same place more than once.”

  “I don’t like it, they’re planning something. I can feel it.”

  “We asked to put up surveillance in both the tunnels and the domes, but we have not been given permission.”

  Devlon raised his eyebrows. “Do we really need permission?”

  “You want us to secretly do surveillance?”

  “I’m not authorizing you to do such a thing, it would have to be done without my approval.”

  “How are we to build trust if we do things like this behind the Earthlings’ knowledge?”

  “My priority is to the safety of my people. There were threats made against Maggie and Rachel. They are mated to Drastans, which make them Drastans now. On top of that, they are my new daughters, and they are carrying the next generation of Estros, I won’t have anyone threaten my family.”

  “I agree with you. That’s why I have already ordered cameras to be installed immediately; we’ll have to go in under the pretense of providing more rations and treatments to the tunnel dwellers. We’ll have to do something different with the domes since they have their own tight security.”

  “I’ll call Lt. Colonel James and let him know what we are planning to do. He’ll find a way to make an excuse to let us in.”

  “Won’t he tell his superior?”

  “He’s just as determined to protect Maggie, Rachel and his grandchildren as I am. He’ll agree to it.”

  “I’ll tell Jared we need to send a replacement crew of medikos earlier than scheduled and up the security going down with them. He’ll want to know why. How much should I tell him?”

  “It’s up to you, but make sure he understands that it needs to be kept quiet. The fewer people that know what we are doing, the better, even among our own people. It’s hard to not know who I can trust. You’re dismissed. Oh, what time should I stop by for dinner?”

  “Eighteen-hundred. Maggie is getting tired more frequently so I want her to go to bed early tonight. It will be just you, Kyle, and Rachel with us.”

  “Jared’s not coming?”

  “No, he’s got other dinner plans.”

  “With who?”

  “Lily Tyner.”

  “It’s about damn time he made a move on that girl. If he didn’t I would have.”

  “Father, she’s too young for you.”

  “I’m older but I’ve still got it.”

  “I’m leaving.” Liam groaned in embarrassment.

  Devlon chuckled as Liam walked out of the room. His smile faded as he pushed a button on his desk and a 3-D image of his late wife appeared. “Rosha, I almost have them all married off. Jared is being the most difficult. I guess I should have expected that since he takes after you, brilliant but stubborn.”

  “I want them to have what I should have given them from the beginning, what I should have given you if I wasn’t so caught up in my own military ambitions. I wish you were here so much to see how well they turned out despite having me as their father. Liam is about to have our first grandchild. I know I acted like I didn’t want children, but I am so grateful you insisted. They are my whole world and I will tear apart anyone who threatens them. I swear this to you.”

  *****

  Jared was nervous about the evening with Lily. He wanted to make a good impression on her. They’d had such an incredible night of passion, but he sensed that something was still bothering her. He ran a hand through his hair quickly before knocking on the door.

  Thomas opened it up and his face lit up when he saw him. “Hi Jared!”

  “Hello Thomas.”

  Thomas held the door open for him. “I’m so glad you came over tonight.”

  “Thomas did you open the door by yourself?” Lily came running out of the kitchen.

  Jared’s breath caught at seeing her. She was wearing a dress of his people. The Earth people call it a sarong. One shoulder was bare making him think about her naked beneath him.

  “Hi.” Man he was a smooth talker tonight. Kyle would have a ball if he could see how his older brother failed to impress.

  “Hi.” She smiled. Damn, she lit up the whole room when she did that. He remembered the items he had with him.

  “I know it’s customary to bring a gift of gratitude when coming over to a dinner. I brought some things.”

  “Jared, you didn’t have to do that.”

  He handed Thomas the new 3D puzzle and gave Lily a new bottle of wine. “Thank you. What do you say Thomas when somebody gives you something?”

  “Thanks Jared. Are you going to help me with the puzzle?”

  “After dinner I thought we could all work on it together. It’s pretty complicated. Where’s Mrs. Gordon?”

  “I’m here dear, making the pie,” she called out from the kitchen.

  Jared inhaled. “Whatever it is, it smells delicious.”

  “It’s a type of pot roast—I used Drastan meat Torosk which tastes similar to our Earth beef. The pot roast is baked with vegetables until the meat falls apart. Mrs. Gordon is making her famous apple pie using the shastas in place of our apples.”

  “Yes, I smell the shastas and it is making my mouth water.” He licked his lips and couldn’t help but take pride in the fact that her eyes followed the action and she instinctively mimicked it. It eased some of his tension knowing she desired him too.

  “Come on in and take a seat on the sofa. I was just about to put the food on the table and then we’ll be ready to eat.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “We’ve got this. Just relax.”

  Jared’s eyes were locked on her fine ass as she walked back to the kitchen. His hands itched to take those lower cheeks and give them a good squeeze. The sound of a box being opened behind him reminded him that Thomas was in the room. He shook all thoughts of Lily and her scrumptious ass to the side for now.

  “This looks different than the few puzzles we found in the subway.”

  Jared sat next to him on the sofa. “It’s a 3-D puzzle. This flat square mat is where you place the puzzle together on. This puzzle will have three levels. Once you get the pieces in place, you press this button here at the bottom of the mat and the puzzle starts to move in three-dimensions so you can add the next level of pieces.”

  “That is so cool!” Thomas exclaimed pulling the rest of the pieces out.

  “Time for dinner.” Lily called out from the table.

  “Oh mom.”

  “We can work on the puzzle after dinner. You two wash your hands.”

  Jared stood up and put his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “It will still be there.”

  Lily gave him a grateful look. “Hurry up before the food gets cold.”

  Chapter 16

  Lily kissed Thomas on his forehead. “Goodnight sunny boy.”

  “Goodnight mamma. Can I say goodnight to Jared?”

  “Of course.” Lily stood up and moved out of the way so that Jared could come into the bedroom and kneel down.

  “Goodnight Jared, I’m glad you’re dating my mom.” Thomas leaned up to hug him. It was so sweet it warmed Lily’s heart.

  Jared patted his little back. “Thank you for giving me permission to date her. Have good dreams.”

  “Will you be here in the morning? I want to work on the puzzle some more.”

  Lily felt heat rise to her face when Jared glanced back at her. She bit her lip.

  “We’ll see. If not then I will definitely come back again to finish it with you. Goodnight.” He kissed Thomas’s forehead like Lily had done and stood up to go to the door.

  She turned the lights off and shut his
door partially. They walked back into the main living space. Lily felt nervous, especially after what Thomas had asked Jared about spending the night. “I should help clean up the kitchen.”

  “No need dear, I just took care of it. I think I’ll retire early; I’m a bit tired. In fact, I’m so tired I wouldn’t hear a lion roar. Goodnight.” Mrs. Gordon winked at Lily. Her face must be beet red by now.

  “Goodnight.” Lily gave her a gentle hug.

  “Good evening.” Jared smiled warmly as Mrs. Gordon left them alone. “I believe that we are being set up.”

  Lily laughed feeling a little more at ease. “What gave it away?”

  “While we were working on the puzzle Thomas kept elbowing me in the side. I think he wanted me to talk more to you or something.” Jared rubbed his side like it hurt.

  “Well, Mrs. Gordon kept kicking my leg under the table for the same reason.”

  “I know, she missed you a couple of times and kicked me instead.”

  Both of them broke out into laughter. Lily bent over at the waist she was laughing so hard. When she stood up straight she wiped tears from her eyes. Jared stepped closer to her and her laughter ebbed away. They faced each other, just a foot or two separated them.

  She stepped an inch closer. “I enjoyed this evening. Thank you for bringing the wine.”

  He moved an inch closer to her. “Thank you for inviting me. The meal was delicious. I enjoyed the puzzle time. I’ve never had a family night like Thomas called it earlier. It meant the world to me that you would share that.”

  She moved closer raising her hand to his cheek. “You are so sweet to Thomas. He simply adores you.”

  He kept his eyes locked on her as he moved his head slowly so that he could place a warm kiss in the center of her palm. She felt sparks travel from that simple contact down her arm, and her breasts, straight to her pussy.

  “Do you want me to leave—or stay?” Jared reached out to put a hand on her hip but didn’t pull her closer. He was giving her time to make a decision, to have him leave and take their relationship at a slower pace, or to let him stay the night and continue to take their relationship to the next level.