The Morcai Battalion: The Recruit by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-07-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MADELINE HAD THOUGHT that she could separate her professional identity from the woman who suddenly harbored feelings she couldn’t control. But she couldn’t. In the weeks since she and Dtimun had gone to Memcache, everything had changed. She found herself watching him, flushed and flustering when she was around him, nervous as a cat. In turn, he had begun to avoid her. Caneese had warned her, for reasons still not understood, to avoid being alone with him. But that was simple. He never permitted himself to be alone with her. Now, even when she had to consult him on assignments, the door to his office was always left open.

The distance between them was new and disturbing. She didn’t challenge him, as she used to, or defy him. She had become quiet, intense, fascinated with the new emotion that was overwhelming her. Even as it grew, he became more elusive and his temper deteriorated even more. Things were bound to come to a head, and they did, at a called meeting of all Tri-Galaxy Fleet officers in the huge council chamber conference hall.

Lawson had called an informal briefing to update the officers of the various fleets on the newest Rojok technology being thrown at them on the battlefield. It came complete with holo images and tech specifications which were displayed on an enormous virtual screen, rather than on the implanted corneal screens worn by all personnel. Probably, Madeline thought wickedly, to give the admiral an opportunity to show off his new virtual toys. He did love high tech.

As they watched the information being screened, which had already been seen by the Holconcom, she found her thoughts wandering unintentionally toward her commanding officer.

Dtimun was leaning against one of the stone pillars, the epitome of relaxed elegance. She thought, and not for the first time, how regal he seemed in any pose he adopted. Ever since their outing on Memcache, her thoughts had been confused and disturbing. If it was a capital offense to have base desires for a comrade, it was twice damned for her to have them for an alien commander. Unwilling, her eyes went to his broad shoulders, to the hair as black as a Meg-Raven’s wing, contrasting violently with the red of his uniform. She remembered falling from the cliff, when he caught her. She remembered their day on Memcache, with the rain falling as she stood with him near the canolithe. He shared things with her that she knew he’d never shared with any outsider. It was immensely flattering. The memory was the sweetest of her life. She had to stop thinking about it. She tried not to. But that one, unexpected day was the happiest she’d ever known...

Inevitably, she felt the probing of her mind, accompanied by a sense of irritation. Dtimun abruptly turned his head and she felt the impact of his eyes halfway across the room, dark with anger.

She turned away, flushed, and tried to camouflage her loss of control with mathematics. This time, it didn’t work.

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