I can’t help it; the moment he says my name, I start crying. With a trembling hand he reaches up, grasping my face, but I can seethe fever behind his eyes as the cold has sunk deep within him. If I don’t get him warm soon, he won’t make it.
“I need you to help me get these wet clothes off. Can you do that while I get us some blankets?”
He lifts his hips up and starts working off the pants he has on. While he’s doing that, I pull off the two wet rugs lying over his chest, then cover him completely with one of the soft blankets I know Lacie stuffed in there.
Before I start slipping my own clothes off, I pull the cubes closer to the bed and then strip out of my own wet garments, tossing them over in the corner and making a wet plop when they land. Then I pile everything we have on BuK … both coats and the emergency blankets before crawling in naked with him. Pulling the blankets up over our heads, the world is dark and the smell of BuK instantly surrounds me.
He hisses when my cold skin touches his. Lifting his arm, I pull it around me as I snuggle up to his side as we lie there shivering together. It doesn’t take long for his body to start warming up, and I feel him pull me closer as I’m still shivering slightly. Neither of us say a word as we lie there naked, pressed together.
I must have dozed off at some point, because when I wake up later, BuK is spooning me from behind. His large arm is draped over me as we lay here, finally warm in each other’s arms. He must have felt me move.
“I thought I was dreaming when I woke up, realizing you were naked in my arms.”
“Was it a good dream?”
“The best in my life so far. I have never felt anything silkier or smoother in my entire existence. If I had a choice, we would stay right here for eternity.”
“As long as it’s warm in your dream, count me in. I’ve just experienced enough cold to last me a lifetime.” Turning on my back, I run my hand up his arm, only to feel him move his hips back slightly where his stiff shaft had been laying against my butt earlier. “How are you feeling? You were in pretty rough shape when we got back in here.”
“I would be lying if I said great. The skin on my arms feels raw, and talking or taking a deep breath hurts, but it is alright because of where we are right now. I am alive because of your quick thinking.”
“You wouldn’t have left me out there either.”
“No, but it is my job to care for you, and I failed. I am not worthy of holding you like this right now, but I cannot bear the thought of willingly letting you go.”
“That’s a crock of shit, and you know it! Worthy of holding me? What the hell ever … you could have died out there BuK, and that’s not okay in my world. When I saw you turn away from the pod because you couldn’t see where you were, I panicked. If we were going to die, it was because we both failed. This was not all on you. You might be an alien, at least to me, but I don’t recall you having superpowers that control the weather. Because of you and your inner strength, you got that crate back here and yes, my nose is running and I feel like crap, but I will take a cold over death any day.”
“I was scared.”
“What?”
“At first, when the cargo bot did not come and you fell asleep in my arms, I was thanking the Lord of Light for at least allowing me to hold you, even if it was our last moments together. As the rising went on and the pod started getting colder, I started counting your shuddering breaths as I knew our time was coming to an end. But when I saw that cargo bot, I knew he had heard my prayers … Then I almost failed his test.”
“BuK, life is nothing but a big ass test. Let me tell you what I saw. I witnessed a man sacrificing himself to the elements and on the verge of collapse, pushing himself just a little further, even when he didn’t have the strength to go on. You may have been scared, but I was never afraid. I knew in my heart that it would work out because I had complete faith in you.”
“Your words, my Briar, humble me.”
Yawning, I rub my nose against his chest and turn toward him fully. “How do you always smell so good? What are you doing, spraying on human lure?”
His laughter starts low as he pulls me into his arms. His large leg is now tucked between mine as his half-hard shaft rests on my stomach. “I have no idea how I made it a rising without you; the joy you bring to my life seems never-ending!”
CHAPTER 8
DAWN
My morning starts off as usual, even if I’m the only one staying on the ship. Even though SAGE has sent multiple things to help with my allergies, nothing seems to help for the whole day, so I end up right back on the shuttle within a few hours because I can’t breathe and my eyes are watering so much, I look like I’m crying. Grabbing my favorite drink out of the replicator, I start to head out to the shuttle when I remember Carla asked me to bring her a few things from storage, but for the life of me, I can’t remember the spice she wanted me to look for. I hit my comm unit only for static to blare back at me.
“ANDI, I was trying to contact Carla, and I’m getting nothing but static. Is something wrong?”
“Forgive me, Mistress Dawn, but I am in emergency mode, and you will have to address your questions in person at my main console.”
“Oookkkayyy, now that is just weird,” I whisper to myself before heading out the door to do just that. Taking the lift to the upper floor, my steps echo down the long hall, and I stop to look at thefloor layout on the wall to make sure I’m headed the right way, as I’ve never been to this part of the ship.
Because ANDI is so interactive, I’ve never felt alone on the ship, even when I was. But for some reason, this morning everything feels different. When I come to the door marked ‘authorized personnel only,’ I hesitate, wondering if it will even open for me, but it slides open on its own when I approach.
Walking in slowly, I’m amazed at the crazy scene all around me. What seems like hundreds of lights and monitors are being shown on all the walls, but it’s the viewer in front of me that makes me walk forward.
“Ummm, ANDI, what the hell is that?”
