Starchild: Dark Reign

Chapter 6

Rayna Hastings leaned over to kiss Bradley on the cheek—after he treated her to a delicious meal and then a pretty invigorating session of passionate foreplay and gentle lovemaking.

"You are a blessing among men, my king." She said—having propped herself up in the same bed which she spent a a couple hours living out one impossible fantasy after another.

She couldn't believe how much she missed this feeling when she had been trained to put the safety of the citizens and the complex above every known personal need in the book.

Including relationships.

"You helped." Her new lover said with a silly grin on his face. "Especially in a few tight spots."

"Well, I wasn't going to let you have all the fun." She said with solid amusement in her voice. "Even if what you did for me was beyond incredible."

"First time?" Bradley queried, glancing over at her for a moment.

"You think I would let you near me if it was?" Rayna joked lightly at her own expense.

The other man chuckled. "Point taken."

Rayna rolled over onto her other side and faced him—her damp hair falling down in front of her face in clumps.

Bradley grinned for a second. "I thought you said you were going to fix that problem with a hot shower?"

Brushing the mess back she could, the woman smiled slyly at him in passing. "I'm only planning one if you come with me. There's no way in hell I'm taking one alone. Not tonight anyways."

"Oh, of that I have no doubt, my dear captain." Her lover said with supreme elegance. "But I checked your shower stall while you were out cold and I found that it can be serviced by one—being one of those small stand alone units."

"Oh bother..." the woman sighed with obvious disappointment. "I keep forgetting about that part."

Bradley stepped forward with a timely save of his own. "However..." he implied valiantly. "Mine is retrofitted for two."

"Two?" Rayna echoed with false hope.

"In my apartment suite?" He added on—throwing her a welcome lifeline.

Indecision ate at the woman for a minute—forcing the other man to come up with another compromise of his own.

"If that's too much of a problem, I can always sponge-bathe you. I used to work as an RN at Lima General Care on Level 3418."

Rayna studied him in a new light. "You? A registered nurse? Get out!"

Bradley's eyebrows rose up a bit. "You don't believe me? Come to my apartment and I'll show you."

Rayna fidgeted in bed. "I can't come to your apartment, Brad. I barely know you. I mean after the wonderful dinner and the fucking mind-blowing sex—I mean."

"But we've been neighbors for awhile, haven't we? Passing into the night and all that jazz?" He said with light amusement.

Rayna hit him on the exposed part of his arm. "Besides that. But we didn't talk much—except to, um, play with each other's imagination from time to time—that is. Like I said: I hardly knew you on a personal level. Outside your name, Bradley."

The other man took her hand and held it across his covered chest.

"Now you know. And I'm sorry it took so long."

Rayna sighed. "It's all right, my love. Looking back at all those missed opportunities, I can see that our paths were never fated to cross once during those times."

Bradley kissed her hand. "Until now." He murmured in quiet agreement.

The woman gasped a bit at the show of love and tenderness he exhibited towards her so routinely since the got together. Not that she was complaining mind you.

She half-expected to have a partner who was forceful, willing, and a bit on the rough side, but that turned out to be her and not him in turn. While she was the wolf, he was the sheep and oh god...was he a serious dream come true!

"Are you always this gentle, kind sir?" She said—batting her eyes at him coyly.

"You tell me," Bradley offered in return. "I did technically give you what you wanted earlier...Elizabeth. And you accepted my open invitations without a hint of protest."

"That's because I was half-dead to the world, you big dummy!" The other woman protested in wry amusement. "I couldn't fight you off—even if I wanted to!"

Bradley looked at her. "But you didn't." He recalled. "Of course, you were in a bit of a vulnerable state to top things off. I couldn't help myself really."

Rayna wiggled herself closer to him. "So how long have you been waiting to do that to someone? Like me for instance?"

Her lover smiled for a moment. "What makes you think I was planning ahead? My dear captain...you are one tough nut to crack and harder to get to know as well. Not easily accessible by any means. That much is for certain."

"Well, I wouldn't be the person I am today—if I wasn't otherwise—Brad."

"Do tell."

Rayna traced a lazy forefinger across his chest slowly—making sure to bring her tapered nails into play.

"You wouldn't like what I would have to tell you, lover boy. Trust me: It's not good conversation for something we both shared together wantonly." She deflected rather easily—even though a small part of her did feel guilty about not being more open to him in passing.

But in reality...? They barely knew each other as close neighbors. And that was a tragedy unto itself in many respects—seeing how damned good relationships were hard to come by in this day and age.

"Afraid of what I may think of you afterwards, Elizabeth?"

The woman snorted softly with laughter.

"I shouldn't have never told you my middle name. No one's called me by that since I was little. But I quickly outgrew it—to my mother's dismay."

"Is she alive still?" Bradley asked—returning the favor by running a hand through her mussed hair—while trying to untangle everything the best he could.

"No. Not anymore." Rayna stated firmly. Then she sighed. "Both my parents are long gone. Taken by the Three Hundred Year War as unfortunate victims by the opposition."

"Oh." Her lover said after a minute or two.

Rayna reached over and touched Bradley on the face lightly. "I told you it wouldn't be good pillow talk conversation."

"I've had worse." He blurted out without thinking—earning a suspicious look from her in passing.

"You've had worse?" She echoed—before smacking him on the chest. "You bastard!"

Bradley tried to curl up to stop the rain of attacks on him—but was failing miserably as a result. Then he decided to end it by reaching out suddenly and kissing her directly—to quiet the fire and rage in both her heart and soul.

Rayna Hastings reacted accordingly—of course—a goofy smile on her face and whatever else was on her mind.

Then she settled into his arms and resumed kissing Bradley passionately on the mouth with a bit more gusto and renewed interest.