“Saber banned her from it,” Jordan said, stepping out of their room. “He said it was not…” her voice died as she looked at Taylor.
“He said it was no place for little females to play,” Taylor growled. “I could dance circles around him. He’s nothing but an old fuddy-duddy. He’ll be ready for the retirement home and a bed pan bath before you know it.”
The menacing snarl that echoed in the hallway told Jesse that Saber, aka the old fuddy-duddy, was following them. She looked over her shoulder but turned back when she saw the dark scowl on Saber’s face. She had a feeling that this wasn’t the first reference Taylor had made to Saber’s age which was probably just a couple of years older than Jesse’s twenty-two.
“I think he might have a year or two before he is ready for that, Taylor,” Jesse said. “I’ll talk to him about the training room.”
Jesse bit her lip to hide her grin when Taylor turned to glare at Saber and stuck her tongue out at him. A muttered curse echoed loudly behind them causing Taylor to dance ahead of her and Jordan.
“So, what are we going to do today?” Jesse asked trying to change the subject.
“What’s that on your neck?” Jordan asked.
Jesse turned beet red and shot Jordan a look that spoke volumes. Jordan’s face flushed and her eyes widened with understanding. A small grin pulled at her sister’s face before Jordan suggested they check out the recreation room after brunch.
Jesse nodded in agreement as her thoughts swirled to Hunter. Her fingers moved up to her neck and she traced the mark he had left. She didn’t remember anything after she had exploded in his arms the last time. A shiver swept through her body and she clenched her fists against the wave of need and uncertainty.
“I’m happy for you,” Jordan whispered as they walked through the entrance to the dining area. “You deserve to be happy.”
Jesse stared at the back of Jordan in shock. Her eyes moved around the room as she realized that she wasn’t the only one realizing that her sister was growing up to be a beautiful young woman. Dozens of male eyes followed Jordan’s willowy figure as she moved to pick up a tray.
“I think I’ve traded one battle for another,” Jesse muttered under her breath.
..*
Hunter found Jesse in the recreation room later that day with her sisters. Taylor and Jordan were playing a game of Wiska, a three dimensional game where creatures battled each other. Jesse was playing a tile game on one of the tablets. His eyes flared with desire when he saw her face flush a delicate pink when she realized he was staring at her.
“Hunter,” Jesse breathed out, looking at him as if she wanted to devour him. “Are you off?”
“Yes,” he responded, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Jordan and Taylor. “I was hoping… I’d thought it would be nice to go for a walk,” he finished lamely.
Jesse’s lips lifted as she saw him run his hands through his hair. He looked uncertain for a moment. She uncurled her legs and set the gaming tablet down on the table next to her.
“I’d love to go for a walk with you,” she said. “Jordan, Hunter and I are going to go explore the ship. We’ll meet up with you two later for dinner.”
Jordan absently nodded her head as she concentrated on the move she wanted to make next. Jesse shyly smiled up at Hunter as he threaded his fingers through hers. She squeezed them to let him know that she was just as nervous.
“What did you do today?” Hunter asked as they stepped out into the long corridor. “Did you get plenty of rest?”
“I got plenty of rest. Thank you for that,” Jesse said. She didn’t want to talk about her day or if she had slept. She wanted him to kiss her. “We ate a late breakfast before spending the rest of the day in the recreation room,” she said instead, biting her lip. “What about you? How was work?”
Hunter shrugged his shoulders. “Boring. I prefer to be planet side as much as possible. I worked on several transports that had been damaged while we were on your planet. It is important that they are ready. We will need to use them on our next mission.”
Jesse frowned. “Are you going on another mission?” She asked hesitantly.
Hunter nodded. “Yes, there is a planet under the Alliance that has requested assistance.”
“What kind of assistance?” Jesse persisted. “Are you going in for humanitarian purposes or is this a military one?” She asked in frustration. “Are you going to be in danger?”
Hunter stopped when he heard the tremor in Jesse’s voice. He turned her toward him and tenderly brushed her hair back from her cheek. He could see the fear that she was trying to hide.