Born of Defiance

Then she must be insane, because he was the kindest male she’d ever known.

Felicia took the kit back into his room. She shut the door and placed the tray stand in the way to give them some warning before she went to the sink and ran warm water into the small tub. Once it was half full, she carried it and the washing implements to his bed and set them next to him.

Talyn watched her peel the blanket and sheet away from his body. “What are you doing?”

She gave him an impish grin. “Bathing you.”

His heart raced as she pushed his gown up and bared his body to her warm gaze. Her smile insidious, she wet the sponge and then carefully ran it over his skin, leaving chills in the wake of her touch.

He struggled to breathe as pleasure pushed away every bit of his pain. The only thing he felt was her delicate hands torturing him. And when she brushed against his cock, he had to bite back an ecstatic cry.

Burying his hand in her hair, he watched as she slowly bent down and took him into her sweet mouth. He arched his back and growled at how good she felt on him. Nothing was sweeter than her tongue and the gentle pressure of her lips.

And when he came a few minutes later, he saw stars from it.

With a satisfied smile, she finished bathing him and changed his gown.

“Thank you,” he breathed before he pulled her lips against his.

“You’re very welcome. And every day you’re nice to your nurses and doctors, I’ll make sure to put that very smile on your face.”

“I will be an absolute angel.”

“Good boy.” She tucked the covers around him, then pulled the tray stand back to the bed, cracked open the door, and moved to shave his face.

Just as she was finishing, his mother joined them, carrying the other tray of food.

Setting the tray down, she gave him a chiding stare. “I hear you’ve been quite the pain today.”

“Sorry.”

“Umm-hmmm. Sure you are.”

Felicia wiped the last bit of soap from his upper lip. “They won’t be having any future problems with him. Will they, keitling?”

He shook his head. “I plan to be a model patient.”

His mom arched a brow at them as Felicia moved the stand closer to the bed so that Talyn could reach his food.

“You need to eat more.” Felicia uncovered the plate and handed him the peeled orange slices.

“The doctor told me that you’re refusing pain meds?”

Talyn swallowed his bite before he answered his mother’s question. “I don’t know when they’ll release me back to duty, and I can’t afford to have a single trace of anything in my system when I report in.”

His mother frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Felicia arched her brow. “Is that not a standard military thing?”

“What?” she asked.

“Talyn told me he can’t even have an aspirin or they’ll court-martial him.”

Galene gaped. “What?” she repeated at Talyn.

Talyn took another orange slice. “Company policy.”

She pulled out her link to look it up. “Each officer can set the limits for what he’ll allow those on protective detail, but that’s ridiculous.” She held it out for Talyn. “Your policy manual says that mild painkillers are —”

“Mom, I can’t have anything in my system.”

She scowled at him, then looked back at her link. “Explain this to me.”

“My CO forbids it, okay? There’s nothing to explain. I don’t care what the manual says. I’m under orders. If I have anything in my system at checkin, I’ll be arrested for it.”

She slid her link back into her pocket. “Why?”

“It’s orders and I’m a soldier. I’m not allowed to ask why.”

“His CO’s a jackass.”

“Lis, don’t.”

Seething over it, Felicia glanced away.

His mother glared at him. “You, Major,” she said to Talyn, “silence. Felicia, explain.”

She met Talyn’s pleading gaze. “It’s not my place.”

“Fine,” Galene snapped. She turned back toward her son. “I’ll pull your reports and file, and start interviewing until I find out what’s going on.”

Talyn let out a frustrated growl. “I have a personality conflict with my CO, Mum. Okay?”

“What kind of conflict? What’s he been doing?”

“Any time he gets a wild hair, he cancels my leave or resets my checkin times. I pull a lot of double shifts and get every fun assignment he has. He keeps restricting me to my barracks. If I sneeze wrong, it goes to Provost.”

“Have you reported him?”

He gave her a sullen stare. “And have him retaliate? No thanks.”

“Have you put in for a post transfer?”

“No, Ma, it never once occurred to me.”

“Don’t get smart with me, boy!”

Talyn glared at her. “Of course I’ve put in for transfers, promotions, you name it. Everything comes back either filled or denied.”

Felicia’s eyes watered at the frustrated pain she heard in Talyn’s voice. At the obvious anguish in his eyes. In that moment, she really wanted Anatole’s heart in her fist.