CHAPTER 14

Mortifying. Nitiel couldn't remember ever having felt so ashamed. From the moment he had collected Loe from her home on Terra, there had been one mishap after another, sending him into a seemingly endless spiral of mortification. But what had just occurred in his cabin…

It had begun in the cleansing chamber where he had discovered his spare uniform missing, just like his big towel. The smaller towels had done the job, but he had been constantly aware of the risk of flashing Loe. Not just his belly button but also his cock, which had been trying to rise to full mast ever since Nitiel had placed Loe in his bed. The argument with Commander Siriniel had not softened the situation.

Nitiel had tried to think about politics and star maps while conversing with the tempting female, but to no avail: she had kept talking about the bed and had even gone as far as to suggest he strip to his waist. If the bench hadn't fallen apart, Nitiel might have lost the lower towel just the same, with his cock tenting the material to its limit.

Then, to top it off, he had been subjected to Trixie's ridicule. The moment he had opened the door of his cabin, the petite Terran had begun snickering. When he had experienced certain difficulties with keeping his bench cover in place while taking the clothes and communicator from her, she had smirked. "My, you need a hand. Why not ask Chloe? Surely she won't mind holding your goods."

His grumble about that statement being inappropriate had been met with, "No one can make you feel inappropriate unless you let them. Don't let them, Subcommander. Enjoy tonight to the fullest." His scandalized inhale had made Trixie wink at him and leave with, "Have fun!"

Utterly mortifying.

He was placing the dress, uniform, and communicator on the bed when Loe poked her head out of the cleansing chamber.

"Was that Trixie?"

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Oh? But I heard her voice–"

"Here, she brought you a dress."

Loe's eyes rounded as Nitiel came to stand before her, dress draped over his forearm. He hoped her wide-eyed look was not because the piece of bench was not covering him properly.

"Nitiel, this… This is… Am I going to a ball?"

He sighed inwardly in relief. He hadn't flashed her, thank the Goddess. "No. This is an everyday dress for Gaenthian females. A formal one for your meeting with your fated mate can be printed, if you wish, but it will take time."

Loe blinked. "Dress-printing, huh? I'd love to see that awesome tech. But not now, of course." She let go of the towel she had been clutching to her chest to take the dress. "I can't believe this," she mumbled, expression awed as she inspected the flowing blue attire.

Nitiel found himself inspecting the rim of Loe's towel. Just to make sure the towel wouldn't slip now that Loe wasn't holding it in place. That was all. He was not looking at the pale globes of her breasts straining against the white material. Was. Not. Looking.

"I saw pictures of similar ballroom gowns on that tablet you gave me during our spaceflight, but I thought they were taken at a gala or something. So, if I'm supposed to wear this instead of a t-shirt and jeans, what's the sleepwear like?"

"Sleepwear?" Nitiel would have scratched his horn nubs with both hands, were they not holding the bench to his chest. He had never considered what Loe would be sleeping in. Obviously, Trixie hadn't either. "There is none available."

"What?!"

His horn nubs burned. "Gaenthians have no sleepwear. Our bed's special surface feels better against… naked skin."

Loe's eyes bugged out. "You want me to sleep naked in your bed?"

"Lady Loe, I don't want–" No, he could not say it. That would be a lie. The desire to see Loe naked in his bed was so strong that the bench he was holding just might break. "I don't want you feeling uncomfortable," he noted in a hurry. "Forgive me. I did not consider all your clothing needs, as the plan was for you to be sleeping alone or with your fated mate."

Loe's little nose scrunched up, then she sighed. "Nothing went according to plan today, did it?... It's fine. When else will I get to sleep in a ballroom gown inside a clamshell, right?"

"Will you be comfortable? I can order something printed for you, it will just take some time–"

"It's truly fine, Nitiel. I'm so sleepy it won't matter what I have on a minute after my head hits the pillow–um, the jelly. I know I slept on the ship, but I guess being attacked by your version of rats drained me… Will you be comfortable sleeping in your uniform?"

Nitiel felt his upper heart swell at the yet another reminder she cared about his comfort. "Of course. My clothing is designed for complete ease of movement."

"That's great, but will it be comfortable on the jelly? You said that's for sleeping naked. Will the clothing get stuck or… ?"

"Jelly?"

"Um, the blue thingie on the bed."

"The bed?" Now it was Nitiel's turn to blink in confusion. "I won't be sleeping there."

She narrowed her green gaze at him. "Nitiel, where else would you sleep? The bench is toast!"

He cleared his throat: he did not need a reminder of the bench fiasco. He was currently wearing it, after all. "The chair."

She rolled her eyes. "Nitiel. Come on."

"Lady Loe–"

"Being unnecessarily formal won't change my mind. You're sleeping on the bed, my lord. It's big enough for both of us."

His hands on the bench tightened. "I cannot."

"What you cannot do is have a proper sleep in a chair. I know you've probably slept in many weird places as a soldier, but now you don't have to."

"Loe–"

"Plus, you need to be rested. Otherwise, I will not feel safe from those munchjies knowing I'm accompanied by a sleepy protector."

He opened his mouth but no words came out. He could not lie and say he would rest well in a chair, not with his old injury acting up as it was. Before he could think of something else to say, Loe stepped back into the cleansing chamber.

"Get dressed and go to bed, I'll join you in a few."

And with that order, she slid the door shut between them.

His fingers dug in the piece of bench, claws scraping the metal surface. What was he to do? There was only so much temptation he could resist!

But was anyone listening to his arguments? No. First Commander Siriniel had ignored Nitiel's protest to Loe sleeping in his cabin: "The incidents on the ship and in her guest cabin might not be coincidences, Subcommander. If someone means this niela harm, I trust you and only you to protect her from the danger." Then Loe had disregarded Nitiel's attempt to stay at a safe distance from her.

Why wouldn't they see? The danger to Loe currently came from Nitiel himself.

He had never feared the wild nature he had inherited from his father as much as he did now. For it had served Nitiel well in battle, but what if it made him break the code of honor when a female was concerned? When Loe was concerned? It could make him forsake all reason and tear that towel off her. Let her feel the bed's surface against her naked back as he covered her front with himself. As he plunged inside her. As he claimed her as his and his alone–

"Nitiel, are you decent? I'm almost done in here."

He threw the bench aside and flew to get his uniform. He dressed as fast as if there were an attack underway, eyeing the two-person bed as he did. There was actually one thing he could do in an attempt to keep the temptation at a manageable level.

Just as he was sealing his suit up, Loe called, "Ready or not, here I come!" Her tone was teasing.

He quickly sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm ready for you, my lady," he teased back. He was calmer now that he had made certain modifications to the bed.

Then she stepped into the room, and Nitiel's pulse sped up. Again.

Layers upon layers of blue flowing around her lower body, Loe looked like the Goddess of Creation herself emerging from the blue waves of Gaenthia's ocean. The tiny stones sprinkled all over the bodice shone like the pearls of life the Goddess had seeded in the gigantic clamshells on the ocean floor. The long sleeves covered all but the tips of Loe's fingers, and the floor-length skirts left only her tiny toes visible, but Nitiel still found the sight overly seductive. Just like Loe's loose hair falling in untamed waves down her shoulders.

"Cinderella has arrived," she said through a giggle. Then her laughter stopped abruptly.

He followed the direction of her gaze to his left.

"You've built a jelly wall? What the heck, Nitiel!"

A wave of nerves passed through his wings. He might have made the gel partition in the middle of the bed a bit too high, leaving barely any gel on his side of the bed. But he would be on the bed as she had demanded, so… "I want you to feel safe as you rest, my lady."

"I felt safe before the wall, my lord." She pinched the bridge of her nose then sighed. "But if this makes you feel safer, no problem."

"I–I…" Why was he feeling guilty about the partition? This was the right thing to do. "I wish you deep sleep, Lady Loe. Feel free to lower the light in the cabin further with a voice command. The clamshell needs to remain open, however, because of the partition."

"It can close?"

"Yes, to provide full darkness and sound isolation. It can also serve as a life pod in emergencies."

"Awesome." She went to lie on the other side of the bed, the semi-transparent partition distorting her lovely image. "Huh, this gives Hello from the Other Side a whole different meaning… Good night, Nitiel."

"Good night, Loe." Her name slipped from his lips and he decided to go with it. Just one final time. From tomorrow there would be proper distance between them in every respect, especially after he took her to her niel.

The reminder burned away his desire as quickly as a flame engulfed a wing feather. Which was for the best. He needed his rest for what tomorrow would bring, which might as well be another disaster. Nitiel laid on his back, closed his wings around himself and let sleep tug him under.

Next time he opened his eyes, it was to the feeling of something soft and ticklish against his chin and something heavy on his bicep. Still sleepy, it took him some time to realize what he was seeing, lying on his left side as he was.

There was no partition to his left anymore; the bed was as flat as usual. What was tickling his chin was Loe's hair. The heavy thing on his bicep was Loe's head. And what his right wing was blanketing was not only his body but Loe's as well. As he stared, she snuggled further into him and continued to snore softly against his chest.

Goddess almighty, help him.