Page 54 of Tarek

Nick gave him a salute by way of reply as I stood, collected what we needed, and followed him away from the table. Behind us, Nick's voice carried over the children's excited chatter. “Have fun, guys.”

I glanced at Darren, and he smiled back at me. For the first time in years, I wasn't thinking about the ship I'd left behind, the one I’d just joined, or the security work I'd done for so long. I was thinking about the man beside me, the home waiting for us on New Haven, and the life we were about to begin together.

I couldn't wait to start.

19

DARREN

Now that my mind was made up, it felt surprisingly freeing. Philip had been my first and only partner, if I didn't count the occasional hand job or blow job during high school encounters. I'd never been with anyone else, and I hadn't realised until now that this was one final tie to Philip that I still needed to sever.

It was my body, my choice, and I was almost completely convinced that Tarek was my true soulmate, not Philip. That was a relief in itself. It was as if the universe were telling me that my first marriage had been like trying to fit two puzzle pieces together that looked almost identical until you noticed the tiny difference in their edges. They seemed to belong together, but they never quite locked into place. Of course, the gap between those pieces had turned out to be much more significant than I'd ever imagined. Still, it helped me understand how I'd mistaken Philip for my forever person. I'd been trying to make the wrong pieces fit, and I'd had no way of knowing just how badly they were mismatched.

I laughed and grasped Tarek's hand. “Come on, mate. Let's get this claiming show on the road.”

He tilted his head, looking at me quizzically. “I think it is best done in our quarters.”

I burst out laughing. “Fair point.”

I tugged him along, wanting to reach our quarters before my courage deserted me and my brain started arguing against the whole idea in an attempt to protect my bruised heart. As we walked, I quickly explained the expression to him.

“Ah, then yes.” His tail snaked around my waist, and his expression grew decidedly warmer. “I, too, am most eager.”

I glanced down at the sizable bulge visible through the fabric of his trousers. “So I can see.”

His nostrils flared as he looked down at my groin. I hadn't said anything else, but apparently that had been enough to excite him further.

The distance from the chow hall to our quarters was short. I practically flung the door open and hurried inside, dropping his hand only when I needed both of mine to get out of his way. Tarek followed close behind me.

“I will put her bed in the corridor,” he said.

“Great. I'll pack her diaper bag with what she needs.”

That was simple enough: diapers, a couple of changes of clothes, her favourite feeding spoon, wipes, and two bottles, along with one of the large, unopened bottles of ready-to-drink formula I'd obtained from the Mylos replicator. Our quarters had small chiller units for snacks and drinks, so Sarah would be able to refrigerate anything that wasn't used.

I turned around to find Tarek standing behind me. The pack-and-play was already gone.

“That was fast.”

“It was not heavy,” he replied.

I laughed when I stepped into the corridor and discovered he'd carried it out without folding it up first. That was fine by me. Sarah was just across the hall, and she and Nick could move the lightweight crib the rest of the way without much trouble. I placed Laura's bag inside it, then watched as Tarek returned with the folded stroller.

“I thought they might find it useful,” he explained.

“Good idea. If Laura gets fussy, one of them can take her for a stroll.”

He grinned. “And it is one less thing of hers they might need to interrupt us for.”

His grin was positively salacious, and the glimpse of his fangs only made it worse. They were glistening with something.

Mating venom, my mind supplied.

Oh, damn.

I gave him a playful push. “Then get inside. Let's make sure we're settled before Sarah and Nick come out, and the boys decide they want their cars and shuttle.”

He chuckled. “I already put those in her bed. Did you not notice?”