Page 36 of Savage Union (Brutal Universe #2)

35

TURK

C ass ran away so quickly I didn’t have time to talk to him about what had just happened between us. I stood there, alone in the shower, feeling stunned for a moment until it occurred to me that I needed to go find him. I didn’t want him wandering around the ship this time of night where Jerx or one of the other Crewmembers might catch him and do unspeakable things to him.

Quickly, I wrapped a towel around my waist and left the shower, hoping to catch him before he went too far.

I needn’t have worried though—I found him huddled in a corner of my Ready Room, dripping all over the black floor mat while my robo-vacuum buzzed and hummed around him, trying anxiously to suck up the puddles of water that were forming from his sodden uniform.

“Cass?” I made his name a question as I looked down at him. He had his knees drawn up to his chin and his arms wrapped around them. At first he wouldn’t look up to meet my eyes. “Cass, look at me,” I ordered.

Finally, he looked up and I saw abject fear in those warm amber depths.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” he said quickly. “I don’t…don’t know what came over me! I just…when I saw you in the shower and I’ve been wanting to…to do that for so long…”

“To do what? Suck me off?” I asked bluntly.

His light brown cheeks went dark with a blush and he nodded stiffly.

“I know it sounds crazy but I felt so…so thirsty for…for your cream. And I wanted so badly to suck you.” He shifted miserably, his wet uniform making a squelching sound. “You can throw me in the Brig if you want—I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Gods, Cass—I’m not going to throw you in the Brig for sucking my cock!” I growled, irritated that he would think I’d do such a thing.

“But…aren’t you mad at me?” he asked tentatively. “I mean, I know you said you don’t like other men…”

“I don’t,” I said and sighed. “With one exception, apparently. Look, let’s get you dried off and we’ll talk about it.”

I got him back to the bathroom and waited while he changed into his night clothes, keeping his body turned modestly away from me. I made a mental note to myself to take his sodden uniform down to the steam cleaner but for now, I needed to deal with what had just happened between us.

Or did I? Really, was it such a big deal? Again I remembered Jerx’s words when he’d claimed that Catamites needed to “suck cock and get fucked.” That was a crude way to put it, but I too had heard that those from Cata Prime had sexual needs that must be met. That was probably the reason why Cass had lost his inhibitions and gotten into the shower with me.

There was simply no other explanation I could think of.

When I closed my eyes for a moment, I saw him looking up at me, the water droplets sparkling like jewels in his long eyelashes and his soft lips wrapped around my aching shaft. Goddess of the Four Faces, why did he have to be so fucking beautiful? Almost as pretty as a girl…

“Captain?” Cass’s soft voice made me open my eyes and I saw that he had changed into his night clothes—which for some reason were frilly and feminine with pink flowers on them. I had never remarked on them before, thinking they were just part of his culture, but now I wished he had something more masculine to put on. He was crossing his arms over his chest and nibbling his lower lip, like he did when he got nervous.

“Come on,” I told him. “Let’s sit on the bed and talk.”

“Okay.” Still looking at me like I might bite him, he settled on the bed beside me, making sure to put plenty of distance between us.

I had the sudden urge to reach for him and pull him close to my side…but I crushed it quickly. We had to maintain some level of decorum, especially considering what had just happened between us.

“Cass, listen,” I said, trying to find the right words. “I’m not exactly sure what’s happening here but I think it might have to do with your Catamite blood again.”

“Oh, do you think so?” He actually looked relieved and his slim shoulders—which had been up around his ears—finally relaxed.

“Yes, I do,” I said firmly. “I’ve heard it said that those from Cata Prime have…needs. Sexual needs. It sounds a lot like what you were describing when you said you were, uh, ‘thirsty for my cream.’”

“Yes, I guess so.” He hung his head, clearly ashamed of himself. “Still can’t believe I acted like that, though.”

“Hey…” I reached out and lifted his chin so that we were eye-to-eye again. “Don’t do that,” I told him. “Don’t be ashamed. You can’t fight your biology.”

“I can’t? I guess not,” he said slowly, answering his own question. He looked at me hopefully. “So you’re really not mad at me?”

“No, though I do think we should try not to do that again,” I said, letting a note of sternness creep into my voice. “It’s not very fucking proper for the Captain of the ship to be having sexual relations with one of his Crewmembers. In fact, it’s explicitly against the Illyrian’s Code of Conduct.”

“It is?” His eyes widened and he looked worried. “I’m so sorry—I just…couldn’t seem to help myself. But I swear I’ll try from now on.”

“That’s good.” I nodded. We would both have to resist temptation, I admitted to myself. Already I was wishing I could be near him again—touching him—feeling his body pressed to mine. And the image of him kneeling before me with his lips ovaled around my cock seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my brain.

Resolutely, I pushed it away and got up.

“I’m going to put on my sleep trousers and take your uniform down to the steam cleaner,” I told him.

“Oh, you don’t have to! I can do that!” he said quickly.

I frowned.

“And let Jerx have another shot at you? I don’t think so.”

One thing our little encounter in the shower had done was increase the feeling of protective possessiveness I had for the boy. The very idea of sending him somewhere he might be in danger made a low growl rise in my throat.

Mine! I thought, which was ridiculous—I didn’t own him. But the deeply ingrained instincts I had to protect and possess begged to differ. The boy felt like he was mine and I wasn’t going to risk him—not for anything.

“You just get comfortable in bed,” I told him. “It won’t take long.”

“But…” He nibbled his lower lip again. “Should we…do you think we should still keep…keep sleeping together? I mean, in the same bed?”

“Where else are we going to sleep?” I asked reasonably. “On the floor of the Ready Room? I don’t think so. Just get in bed. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, Captain,” he said softly and, as I gathered up his wet clothes, he crawled into bed and pulled the cover up to his chin.

“Be back soon,” I told him. And Goddess help me, I was already thinking of holding him and maybe even kissing him again…even though I told myself I absolutely couldn’t do any of that.

I shook my head at my own desires. Who could have guessed that I would suddenly become a lover of men? But I wasn’t really—was I? I was just a lover of one man—of Cass—and he was so slight and pretty he could almost be a girl.

The old feeling that I’d seen him before came back to me for a moment and I studied the lines of his back and shoulders outlined by the covers. But no, it was impossible—I had never met him before. I just felt like I knew him because he looked like Jessina.

Thinking of my little bird made me sigh. I wished I could contact Slade and ask if they had ever found her. I hoped she was safe somewhere, with someone who was taking good care of her.

You mean the way you’re taking care of Cass? whispered a little voice in my head.

I did my best to push it aside and ignore it. I wasn’t going to do anything else with the boy, I promised myself—from now on, our relationship would be strictly professional.

No matter how much I might wish it could be otherwise.