CHAPTER 30 LEE
A golden glow illuminated their cafe table, where Kat lounged with her legs curled up under her and her arms draped lazily across the surface. She blinked back sleep while her eyes roved over one more hologram in the air.
He still didn’t believe this was real life. How had he ever gotten so lucky as to find her? Not that any part of this felt like luck. This was seven years by her side, losing hope and picking back up again, but never quite giving up. This was endurance. And a fight he’d never yield…
She rubbed her ear against her shoulder, stretching up her long, graceful neck as she got the itch.
But she had never been a choice for him, it was always her.
He blew out a breath as he flicked his eyes back down to his holoblock, the tech behind the hub and the files buried within. Maybe this had never been a choice either.
With how much Lee knew about the General and his plans for Segura—with what Lee knew about their Commander and Gaia, could he ever have said no and walked away? For the promise of a good career as a raider? For the promise of anything? What wouldn’t he risk for the chance to see things righted?
But again, his eyes landed on Kat’s non-reactant form.
He was here for her, he reminded himself, yet again. He’d chosen to be here, and he intended to make good on that, by whatever means he could, for as long he was able.
Sighing, he began closing out holofiles as they dipped into that twenty-second hour.
“Did we find anything?” Kat murmured, half asleep, her eyes having stopped moving entirely. They were more shut than open by the time he cajoled her into closing out her own holoblock. He had an arm looped around her waist to support her weight as they passed Zane coming into the Hideaway.
“Long night?” Zane chuckled darkly, eyes slipping to Kat. “I’ve seen that look a time or two…”
“Something like that,” Lee said tightly, acutely aware of just how well Zane also knew Kat.
And on an intimate level the two of them had yet to cross.
But a softness took over his gaze as it fell on her and the dead-set sleepiness setting in.
She had been amazing tonight. She pretended to weather it well.
But this term had been a lot—for both of them. And it wasn’t even close to over yet.
“Do you two have a raid coming up?” Zane asked, motioning to the holoblocks tucked under their arms. “I didn’t notice anything on the pipeline for you when I was in there earlier.”
There was something too knowing in the way he held his gaze an extra second there at the end.
“Er, not exactly,” Lee said. Very aware how few souls were currently up and about right now and of the chances of him running into Zane.
But he wasn’t about to drag anyone else in with them.
Not this close to Placement deadlines, and not until he had a better idea what they were facing.
So Lee swiftly changed the subject. “How are things? Has Colonel Accetta been easing up at all?”
“Ask the General,” Zane said, dismissing the notion. “As soon as he cools it, I wager Dad will.”
“We can only hope,” Lee said. For all their sakes. “Anyway, we’re heading up. Have a good night.”
They were barely out of earshot before Kat had straightened a little in his arms. “I always hated the guy, just from how Zane used to speak of him. He always turns the imperfection on his son. A total aggro,” she slurred.
Another reference to their shared past.
“I didn’t actually get the impression you guys ever chatted at all,” Lee said, dryly, surprised she was functioning enough to have caught any of that at all.
“You are jealous,” she sang, as her body slumped deeper into his.
“I think you pick and choose what you want to hear,” Lee countered. But he slung an arm tighter about her waist as they climbed the stairways.
He was jealous—of time wasted. Of time lost. And of the fact that she’d ever needed to have that phase with Zane to begin with.
But mostly he was jealous of how quickly these days were slipping by him.
He felt like he was on a timer, incessantly ticking.
Only the parameters had been fudged, and he didn’t know when it was set to run out.
“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 to the zapping thing 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.