Chapter 21
Rage rode Varik hard.He was impotent to force Captain Twalley into action. Something had to give. How the fuck could he get their ship off the station? He banged his head against the wall of his shitty quarters above the narrow bed.
Jarn rolled over and stretched. “Holy crap. I haven’t used some of those muscles in so long, I nearly forgot how.”
A smile settled on Varik’s lips as his lover’s words inspired the solution. The insight almost made up for the fact he shouldn’t have taken Jarn to bed. If Twalley caught them, it could ruin everything.
“I have to go.” Varik flipped off the coverlet and pulled on his pants. He sniffed his shirt and when it didn’t make his stomach curdle, pulled it over his head.
Jarn sat up, face slack, eyes pleading. “What about…”
Varik leaned over and gave him a firm kiss. “Just need to keep this under wraps until we leave the station.” He caressed Jarn’s soft cheek. “Be patient, love.”
Jarn nodded.
“I’ll find you tonight.”
“Of course.” Jarn’s smile didn’t quite convince Varik, but he couldn’t take time to comfort the man. He had to save The Treasure.
Varik stuck his head in the open door of Twalley’s office. “Captain?”
“Varik,” Twalley’s cheerful voice welcomed Varik in.
“I have a concern I should share with you.” Varik rounded his shoulders and gazed the man wide eyed. “Get your advice.”
Twalley puffed up a bit. “What can I help you with?”
Varik wrinkled his brow and filled his voice with worry. “It’s about your ship, sir. It’s been in the docking bay for a while now, right?”
Varik had already looked up the records. Over four galactic months.
Twalley murmured agreement.
“Well, sir. There’s some risk when the engines are allowed to fallow like that. I mean, they’re designed to run, be lubricated, used. If left neglected, they could possibly seize up on you.”
Twalley’s grunt carried a note of apprehension. Perfect.
“Sir, I think you should let me and a skeleton crew take it for a short trip, make sure the systems are optimal. Identify any maintenance that might be required before we take off for your extended research study. It would be horrible to finally get the approval and then have a delay we could have foreseen or prevented.”
“That’s a great point.” Twalley picked up his comm. “I don’t have any meetings scheduled for the next several cycles. Why don’t you organize the necessary crew members—navigator to plot the course—and so on and we’ll go out.”
Shit. “There’s no need for you to be involved in a technical maintenance run, sir. I know how busy you are with organizing the research plan and coordinating the grants. I’m happy to cover this routine task.”
“To be honest, I’ve organized what I can. It’s simply a matter of waiting. I’m happy for the change in routine. Give us a chance to get…more familiar.” Captain Twalley stroked Varik’s arm.
“Perfect, sir. I’ll make the arrangements.” Varik forced a seductive smile to his face and squeezed Twalley’s hand with a fake promise. One he would do everything to avoid. But after fucking Auvi on the deck of The Treasure, a private session with one slightly balding, middle-aged mouse of a scientist was no big deal. “Shall we…share a cabin?”
Red bloomed up Twalley’s cheeks. “Uh, perhaps not this time. Keep up appearances.”
Varik made a pouty face. “I understand. I’ll talk to the navigator and organize the rest of the crew we need.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to get some alone time on the trip even with separate quarters.” Twalley winked.
“I look forward to it, sir.”
Twalley’s grin was the opposite of everything Varik was feeling. Not only was the captain going, meaning Varik couldn’t commandeer the ship, but he’d have to leave Jarn behind because he couldn’t risk the captain finding them together. Not this trip.
“I can’t believe you don’t want me to go.” Jarn crossed his arms concealing a large portion of his perfectly lean chest.
“Captain insisted on a skeleton crew. It’s just for a few cycles.” Varik glided fingers down Jarn’s cheek. “I need you here. Keep our quarters together. Listen for any jobs that come up for ships leaving sooner.” Varik had convinced Jarn that his funds were limited, and they needed to find a crew that could take them both, and that Captain Twalley’s research trip might not pan out. If nothing else, it kept his expenses low and gave his young lover something to focus on besides Varik’s seduction of Twalley
“Fine.”
“I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” Varik shifted his hand under the cover and grasped Jarn’s cock, stroking it firmly, brining it back to life. His lovers hips twitched. Fuck, Varik was going to be late. But so what? Twalley would wait.
He flipped the coverlet back and straddled Jarn. Arms still crossed, Jarn glared up at him. Varik pressed his shoulders back until Jarn relaxed on the bed. “Before I go, I’m going to give you a reason to forgive me.”
Varik shifted between Jarn’s legs. Lifted him by the knees, pulling him into the perfect position. The gasp that left his lovers lips when he tongued the sweet hole he’d used all night went straight to Varik’s empty balls. He circled his lovers still gaping pucker, teasing up to his balls, and wrapping his hand around Jarn’s hardened cock. He squeezed and released. Spit into his palm and proceed to stroke and lick his boy to a screaming orgasm.
Jarn was still shaking when Varik slapped his ass and rose from the bed. “Be good. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.” The tiny hint of whine in Jarn’s voice reassured Varik his new lover would be waiting.
On the ship, Varik spent the next cycles checking systems and teasing Twalley. The captain tried to get Varik to sneak in and out of his bed so the crew wouldn’t know what was going on. Varik used the late night invitations to tease the captain. Sending filthy texts and even an image of his hard cock spewing. So what if Varik lied and said it was for Twalley. He sent the same image to Jarn with the message, “Miss you. Be home soon, baby.”
Twalley hadn’t questioned the path Varik had charted with the navigator that would lead straight to Din’Gale. But two cycles into the trip, The Treasure passed close enough to register in Varik’s tracking software. He considered hurling the device against the nearest wall. Cyra was headed in the opposite direction. Back to Cassan.
Varik stormed off to the engine room. As the only engineer on the ship this trip, not even a junior tech had been invited, he could do what had to be done without eyes on him.
Later that cycle, red lights and system warnings blasted through the Harlan Johnson. Twalley leapt up from the captain’s chair on the deck. “What’s happening?”
Varik pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Twalley was no captain. Varik spun in his chair. “There’s been a critical breach in the engine room, sir. I’ll seal it off immediately, but we need to turn for Cassan now. With any luck we’ll make it back close enough that a rescue ship can be called in. I’ll do what I can to close the breach and keep us from further damage.”
Varik raced from the deck to the engine room and, once the doors had sealed, laughed himself silly.