Not that he had to be inappropriate. His hot stares were enough. The Jutak warrior watched her as if he’d devour her. Those eyes. She tried to recall if she’d ever seen eyes like his. Black with curious lines of white in the center pupil.
His hair was blond, the deepest shade of gold she’d ever seen and worn short in a military cut. His body, which she frequently touched to help him move about, was as hard and honed as the strongest alloy.
She’d seen him more than once without a shirt, sometimes only wearing a toweling cloth on his lower half. Solid muscles all over. Big. Imposing.
Being near his large frame actually made her feel soft. More feminine. That wasn’t easy with someone of her tall stature. Did he find her physically appealing? Attractive even? Her body, though proportionate, was bigger than an Enotian female, leaving her to feel ungainly in comparison when she thought of the other women he was used to.
He’d arrived at CV-8 two weeks ago for help figuring out why the cybernetic enhancements in his legs weren’t working. The medic who did the work must have been the top in his field. No evidence of the extensive surgery he’d had to regain the ability to walk marred his physique.
Not that she wanted to see signs of him hurt. She’d seen enough patients come through with jagged scarring and thick tissue adhering over wounds less damaging than Jutak Hardusho due to clumsy medics or sub-par equipment.
Or Bane as she often thought of him in her mind. Her heart thudded and her hips wanted to rock. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to be attracted to him but how could she have expected him to be such a beguiling man?
Staring at the ceiling and the domed lighting, she couldn’t block out the series of images of him barely clothed running through her mind. He favored body-hugging, knee length shorts and tight long-sleeve shirts which strained over his broad chest. His legs were thick cords she couldn’t fit two hands around, every inch rippling with muscles despite his inability to walk unaided.
She craved one chance, one opportunity to touch him freely. Give reign to the bothersome desire making itself known for the first time in years. Her lips firmed. Past experience warned she didn’t want to go down that path again. This unexpected arousal for the injured soldier was unwanted. It left her feeling vulnerable and weak. Evil targeted the weak.
“Dharma?”
She spun around, pushing away from the wall, hands clenched in defense. One of the other female medic assistants stood in front of her. She relaxed her stance. “Yes?”
Caris eyed her strangely. “Is everything alright?”
Caris was exceptional and worked alongside Tao and another specialist on Bane’s case. As a Breter, she had the perfect personality for being at a medical research facility, determined and studious.
“Everything is fine.” She straightened and tugged at the hem of her top, fixing the matching blue bottoms unnecessarily with a jerk. “Did you need anything?”
“No.” Caris shook her head, sending dark short curls dancing about. Her blue eyes narrowed. “I was about to end shift and planned to speak with the patient, Bane Hardusho. Notations show you responded to an alarm recently. I assume there are no new developments.”
Caris’ voice pitched high on the end of her statement, her brow arched in inquiry. Dharma cleared her throat and hoped Caris attributed her flushed features to the heating system. “No. Nothing. The alarm was in error. The patient was fine.”
Neither she nor Bane had discussed the nightmares that sent his stats in a volatile display and set off a medical alert routinely. Everyone should be allowed to battle their demons without witnesses if they chose. She understood that more than ever.
Caris stared a moment longer, intense and unrelenting. Another might have given in to the need to ramble. Dharma had worked here too long to be intimidated. Longer than Caris in fact. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept quiet.
“Well, if there are no issues, I’ll go ahead and leave.”
Another pause then Caris left. Dharma watched her go, all the while wondering why something about the other woman bothered her. Caris had done nothing obvious outside her unusual interest in the Jutak warrior. An interest which could be explained easily as a medic assistant taking pride in the work she did, but Caris was also new and seemed to seek out Dharma at every turn with questions regarding Bane.
Nibbling her bottom lip, she decided to pay closer attention in the future. If Caris thought to interfere with the Jutak, she’d have to get through her first.
Chapter 3
Two weeks later
Bane listened to the medics, the words they said...and the ones left unspoken. He kept his face blank, not giving away any sign of his growing panic. Week after week, he’d been here because the military research facility was known for its advanced work on cybernetic enhancements and biotronics similar to his.
“Do you understand what we have explained, Jutak Hardusho?”
Frustrated, Bane sighed and slumped back against the pillows of the bed he’d already spent more time in than he cared to track. “Yes. I’m fucked.”
The head medic, Tao, flinched, his smile strained. “That is not how I would say it but there is no medical reason we can find for why your biotronics aren’t syncing in order for you to walk again.”
“Is there anything you haven’t told us?” Caris asked, leaning closer. “Something we can look into as the cause for the failure?
Bane shook his head. He’d done everything, covered everything. The therapy was proving pointless because nothing worked. A snarl of frustration escaped his tightly pressed lips as he snapped, “I’ve told you everything.”
Conversation resumed. Medical jargon he couldn’t decipher. Turning his head to the side, Bane stared at the pale blue walls and ignored the rest of what the medics added. Clenching his fists on his lap, he fought back the need to roar his denial of his circumstances.
Reckless anger wouldn’t solve anything. There had always been the possibility this wouldn’t work. His reluctance to accept the truth didn’t change matters.
Acknowledging that only increased his ire. It took longer than he wanted to regain control. But he did. Taking a deep breath, he spoke through gritted teeth. “Get out.”
“You are due in therapy shortly,” Tao said, using his conciliatory tone.
Bane didn’t care. All of it was a waste of time at this point if it didn’t help. He faced the group and repeated in a voice softer but more deadly. “Get. Out!”
“Jutak Hardusho, you have to let us help.” Tao raised an imploring hand, his dark eyes beseeching.
“You can’t,” Bane snapped.
They exchanged glances. Bane didn’t have to have the ability to read thoughts to know what they were thinking. They believed he’d finally broken. Cracked around the edges due to his circumstances. After a moment of silence, they eventually left, closing the door quietly behind them.
Completely and utterly fucked.
The moment he was alone, Bane grasped the portable comm next to him and keyed in a code he’d know in his sleep.
“Are you wanting to gloat about your extended break?” Jaron, his teammate, asked without a greeting.
“Maybe.” A small smile curled Bane’s lips. None of them enjoyed being out of commission due to injury. “How’s Sasha?”