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They were the only two
humans on a jit flagship, headed for Solaris Prime. If they made it
out of this alive, they’d deal with the repercussions then. For
now, Alex had decided to live for the moment and enjoy every last
second he had with Della. The only woman he would ever love.
    He’d come to some stark realizations over the past
hours. He recognized himself for a fool and cursed the time they’d
wasted. He also cursed himself for allowing her to get embroiled in
this mess that could very well lead to both their deaths, despite
Father Theos’s assurances.
    Alex acknowledged the deep feelings he’d carried
inside his heart for Della for months now. If not for this
extraordinary situation, he would’ve continued to ignore the almost
magnetic pull that existed between them, but now all bets were off.
Neither of them might survive this situation. The least he could do
was give her honesty.
    He loved her and he was confident enough to think
she was attracted to him as well. She’d pushed his buttons often
enough for him to know she admired him physically. He’d always
rebuffed her small advances and he’d seen the hurt in her eyes as
she did her best to make light of the situation. He was through
hurting her. He was through ignoring their mutual attraction.
    If she wanted him, he was ready to give her his all.
For as long as it lasted.
    Which could be a very short time, indeed.
    “ Alex?” Her voice was raspy with
disuse as her gorgeous green eyes blinked up at him.
    “ I’m here, Della. How do you
feel?” He lay on the bed, next to her, propped up on one elbow. His
hand brushed her soft hair out of her face, lingering to caress her
tender skin.
    “ Groggy. And my throat is
scratchy.”
    “ Not to worry.”
    He leaned over to the night stand where he’d placed
a pitcher of ice water and two drinking cups. He poured a small
amount into one of the cups and sealed it, pushing the control that
created a straw from which she could sip the water. He slipped one
hand behind her shoulders and assisted her to sit up slightly so
she could drink. When she’d had enough, he took the cup away and
lowered her back to the bed.
    “ Better?” he asked
softly.
    “ Much. Thank you.” She looked
around in confusion as her senses returned bit by bit. “Where are
we?”
    “ We’re in quarters on the jit
ship, heading for Solaris Prime. We’re locked in but they’ll let us
out between lunch and dinner each ship day, or so I was
promised.”
    “ We’re prisoners?” Wide eyes
blinked up at him, feathering against his heart.
    “ They’re calling it protective
custody, but yes.”
    “ Why? We saved their lives!” He
could see the confusion and outrage in her expression. He tried to
soothe her.
    “ I know, sweetheart. There have
been some developments since you collapsed. You’re not the one in
the most trouble here. It’s my fault we have to go to Solaris
Prime.”
    “ How so?” She pushed the covers
away and sat up against the headboard as he faced her.
    “ It’s complicated.” He made a
face, not sure how much to tell her. “I volunteered for some
genetic experiments a few years back.”
    “ Enhancement.” She nodded, waiting
for him to continue.
    He was surprised enough to pause. She hadn’t even
blinked at the idea.
    “ Have you known about me all
along?” He couldn’t help but ask.
    “ Yes, Alex.” Her quiet answer was
firm and her gaze was unblinking.
    “ It doesn’t bother
you?”
    “ It doesn’t matter, Alex. You are
who you are. The sum total of your decisions and experiences. I’ve
never had a problem with soldiers and certainly not with those who
voluntarily risked so much to become even better at what they do.
I’ve always admired your courage.”
    Her attitude floored him. In a society where most
civilians walked wide around a soldier if he dared show his face in
the civ parts of town, her simple acceptance was a gift. Her
respect was a miracle.
    Alex had to swallow a couple of times