Story Excerpt
Imlay's Cure

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Imlay Jones was simply a job. Livewire knew that. They were to transport the man and his medical equipment from Lost Star Three to End of the Line. Livewire had known since the minute he met the doctor that they were mates. He had no idea how he’d known, but he had. And being around Imlay day in and day out was agonizing.

Imlay had very clear ideas on what he thought about sex, and they were in direct contradiction to what Livewire thought. Imlay found relations between people disgusting. Livewire couldn’t think of anything but jumping the man and fucking him into the wall.

Hence, the reason he needed off the ship until Imlay was delivered to End of the Line and no longer on the ship. Imlay had made it more than clear that any type of physical relationship between them wouldn’t happen. And if Livewire stayed onboard, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop it.

The thought of Imlay getting off on End of the Line and both of them going their separate ways was too much for Livewire to bear. He wasn’t going to be around to watch his mate just walk away. This was a much better solution for both of them.

Livewire paused when he reached the middle deck of the ship and heard noises coming from the sick bay. He knew he should keep on going down to the lower level to get his bag, but Livewire couldn’t pass up the last chance he would have to see his mate.

Livewire walked down the corridor to the sick bay and peeked inside. He could see the doctor moving about the room and assumed he was putting stock away. Imlay was stacking boxes in the cupboards and rearranging the shelves.

“Is there something you wanted, Livewire?” Imlay asked.

Livewire jumped a little when the doctor didn’t even turn his head to look at him when he spoke. He knew he had been quiet. Over the last couple of weeks, Livewire had perfected the art of sneaking around the ship to spy on the sexy doctor.

Livewire felt like he could have been a speck of dust on the floor for all of the attention Imlay paid him. He’d caught Imlay watching him a time or two, but over the last several days, the doctor had taken great strides to avoid him. Maybe that was what finally threw Livewire over the edge. He couldn’t stand being ignored by his mate. It was more than any one man could handle.

“Livewire?” The doctor had a dark brown eyebrow raised as he glanced over his shoulder. “I believe I asked you a question. It does require an answer.”

Livewire barely suppressed his shiver as desire spiked through him. It was always that way when Imlay spoke to him in that deep tone. It was commanding, dominating, and arousing as all hell.

“I’ve come to say goodbye, doctor.”

“Oh?”

“Oh?”

Livewire pressed his lips together when Imlay turned away and continued stacking boxes of medical supplies in the cupboard. He hated being ignored, but he’d grown used to it with Imlay. Livewire felt like the man simply pushed him out of his mind when he didn’t want to deal with him—which seemed to be most of the time.

“I have business down on Beta Five. I’ll be disembarking here. The Lady Blue will pick me up after dropping you off at End of the Line.”

Livewire held his breath as he waited to see if his words would get any reaction from the doctor. He’d settle for any sign that his words made a dent in the thick-headed man, even a nervous tick.

“Oh?”

Livewire grit his teeth and clenched his hands when Imlay didn’t even turn around. His mate simply did not care. Something came over Livewire in that moment, knowing this would be the last time he ever saw his mate again and the man simply could have cared less.

He growled and leapt across the space between them. Livewire grabbed the doctor and spun him around before pushing him back against the wall next to the cupboards. He wrapped his fingers in Imlay’s hair and smashed their lips together, taking from the doctor what he wouldn’t freely give.

Livewire groaned as the sweet taste of the man blasted across his tongue. Had anyone ever tasted so sweet? So delicious? The kiss sent the pit of Livewire’s stomach spinning as he covered Imlay’s mouth hungrily. Every ounce of want and need that he had been suppressing since the doctor boarded the Lady Blue exploded as he savagely explored Imlay’s mouth.

Livewire heard Imlay whimper. It was probably the only thing that could have gotten through the lust filled fog in his brain. No matter how angry he was, harming his mate wasn’t allowed. And besides, Livewire wasn’t used to being the aggressor, but desperate times called for desperate measures. This would be their only kiss, and Livewire didn’t want to go their separate ways without at least tasting Imlay just once.

Regret filled Livewire as he slowly pulled away and looked down into Imlay’s deep green eyes, eyes that he could have drowned in. Livewire rubbed his thumb across Imlay’s kiss-swollen lips. A piece of his heart broke off at the wounded look in the doctor’s eyes. Maybe leaving was the best thing for both of them.

“We could have been so good together, Imlay,” Livewire whispered before pushing away from the man. He took a step back, then another and another until he reached the doorway. “Goodbye, doctor.”