Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(29)

“What do you want?” Destin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was about to get something to eat and wasn’t sure if you were still occupied or not,” Trig replied with a slight smirk. “From your unhappy expression and biting tone, I will take it that things didn’t go well with the Usoleum Councilor. They aren’t known for their warmth, though you appeared to be defrosting this one. I’ve heard that Elpidiosian females are pretty aggressive. Ajaska warned they can be rather predatory if you aren’t careful.”

Destin shook his head. “I don’t need a babysitter, especially on board the ship. If you are going to be a pain in my ass for the next couple of months, I should warn you that I’ll probably try to stuff you in the disposal tubes,” he groused, pushing past Trig. “And my relationship with Sula is off limits. If you so much as make one derogatory comment about her, I’ll beat the living shit out of you before I eject your ass into space.”

Trig’s mouth tightened. Destin wasn’t sure whether or not Trig was trying to keep another smart-ass comment from escaping, he was just glad when the other man nodded. Destin glanced at the door next to his living quarters and paused. He wanted to see if Sula was alright, but he didn’t want to do it with Trig standing there pushing his nosy ass in the middle of a situation Destin wasn’t exactly sure how to handle.

“I could find out if she is in there for you,” Trig offered.

Destin glanced at the other man in exasperation and shook his head. “Please tell me you are not going to be a boil on my ass for the next few months?” he asked with a pained expression.

“What is a boil?” Trig asked warily.

“Look it up,” Destin replied. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

Trig nodded. “If it is on your ass, that does not sound promising,” he said with a grimace. “If it helps, this isn’t something I volunteered for.”

“Well, until you tell me why Razor and Hunter are so set on having you being my babysitter, don’t expect any cooperation or sympathy from me,” Destin retorted, stepping into the lift and turning to lean back against the wall.

“Noted,” Trig muttered, following Destin. “Level Eight.”



* * *



..*





* * *



“Lesson sixteen,” Sula muttered, staring at the screen. “No, that isn’t it. Lesson twenty-one, lesson twenty-two.”

Frustrated, she skimmed the contents, searching for anything that could explain what had happened earlier. With growing aggravation, she closed the educational files her mother had given her. So far, she hadn’t discovered anything that explained the intense physical reaction to Destin’s touch.

Her people did not touch lips together. They showed their affection by pressing their foreheads and fingers together. While the files showed her how to relieve her own discomforts, they did not go into details about the physical relationship between a male and female like the human PORN files did. Even her brothers’ files were little more descriptive.

Deciding she had wasted enough time and energy on the subject, she opened the files pertaining to Badrick’s legacy and the current environment on Earth. The more she read about Badrick, the more she wished the former Usoleum Councilor was still alive so she could kill him. It was obvious the male had some mental issues that should have been diagnosed before his assignment to any position. Sula suspected it was only his family’s high position in the Usoleum government that had shielded him. She would have to recommend some reform in that area.

Leaning forward, Sula rested her chin on the palm of her hand and stared out into space. The small, quiet room was nearly empty. There were only five others in the room set aside for relaxation; two couples who were talking quietly with each other and a male warrior sitting near the back wall, asleep.

Setting her tablet aside, Sula reached into the small bag she had brought with her and pulled out the game Chelsea had given her. It was in the shape of a triangle and contained numerous holes in it. Opening the clear bag containing all the pieces, Sula inserted the colored pegs into all the holes but one. Over the next several minutes, she played the game, trying to leave only one peg remaining.

“I’m just plain stupid,” she muttered with a sigh, gloomily staring at the three remaining pegs.

“Maybe for sneaking out on me, but otherwise I’d say you were pretty smart,” an all-too-familiar masculine voice said, pulling her out of her reverie.

Sula’s head jerked up and she twisted in her seat. Her gaze softened when she saw Destin standing beside her. Her lips curved when he glanced down at the game and grinned.

“So, that is where you learned the word you like,” he murmured before returning his gaze to her face. The grin on his face faded and his expression grew more distant. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Yes…,” Sula started to say before she released a sigh. “Yes, I would like for you to join me, not that I would mind.”

“Good,” Destin replied, swiveling the chair so he could slide onto it. He sat forward, clasping his hands together, and gazed back at her in silence for a few seconds before he spoke. “Why did you leave?”

Sula bit her lip and turned her gaze to the game in front of her. Her fingers played with one of the pegs, turning it in the circle. She blinked when Destin gently placed his strong fingers over hers. The contact sent a wave of yearning through her. Almost immediately, she felt her nipples harden and her stomach clench in remembrance of the feel of his hands against her flesh.