Prologue

The sunlight gleams through a slit in her window as the sun rises. She groans and she stretches in her bed. It is to be another beautiful day here on Solaris Seven. Of course they didn’t name the planet Solaris Seven because of its constant rain, so bright sunny weather is to be expected. Just not quite so much would be nice for Narcisa Quinn. She snuggles down more under the covers not wanting the day to even be here. Narcisa turns her head to the stare at the crumpled mess of pillows and covers. The apartment is silent just as it has been every single day for the past year. Today is different though, it marks the day Steffen left.

Being a marine for the Galactic Alliance of Free Worlds is hell. The thing is, being the wife of one is even worse. The leaves that he was granted was the only time she got to see him. Being stationed on the fringes of the alliance’s territory, no soldier can have their family there—too much risk. Narcisa had begged Steffen many times to just quit and become a simple cargo hauler or anything else, really. She just wanted him home, safe and in her arms.

But he couldn’t.

She pulls back the covers and gets up slowly, making for the bathroom. She looks in the mirror and sees plenty of evidence that she has been crying. It reminds her of what it was like this every time he had to go back. It became a routine that had played out again and throughout the five years of their marriage. She stares at herself for a few minutes before bending down to splash some cold water on her face and trying to rub the puffiness out of her eyes. Narcisa turns to run the water in the shower and then steps in. She lets the hot stream of water relax her a little bit. It runs over her body, flowing down until it ends up in the drain.

She leans her forehead against the wall of the shower letting it stream over her head and down her back. She closes her eyes, imaging him here right now with her, his arms wrapped around her belly, telling her that he is staying, not going. Then he is pressing himself against her, his hands running with the water down her body touching her breasts, her belly and then reaching down to her pussy, opening her lips and teasing what is beyond. She lets her hand slide down her body, imaging it is him touching and loving her. Her hand touches herself and she finds her clitoris. She slowly circles her way around it and keeps her eyes shut.

The sound of the water rushing out overhead muffles her soft moan as her fingers continue to send pins and prickles of pleasure through her. She can almost feel Steffen pressing into her, touching her where she is touching herself now. She imagines their fingers intertwined, his lips on the back of her neck, his tongue hot against her wet skin. Her body starts to move, when she imagines their hands moving over her pussy lips and rubbing across her bud. The tension builds up inside her and she climaxes, her face up against the wall of the shower with her eyes closed and gasping for breath. She stands like this for a few moments. Finally, she realizes where she is and she opens her eyes.

Narcisa looks around her and grim reality closes in and she turns the shower off and starts to dry herself off while walking back into her bedroom. It looks different. There is a glow that just makes everything look softer. She is alarmed as she sees Steffen sitting on the edge of the bed, looking handsome as ever.

“Narcisa,” is all he says. His voice is the same, still warming her from her core.

Narcisa thinks she is dreaming. She probably is but she doesn’t want this dream to end. He seems so real, standing here, looking at her. Her breath is taken away by the mere sight of him.

“Steffen,” she whispers. She walks to where he is. Her eyes start to well up with tears once she comes to stand before him. She is afraid to touch him. Oh how she would be devastated if she reaches out and feels nothing. “Steffen, I can’t believe this. What are you doing here?”

By now, tears are running down her face. She has missed him so much and now he is standing right in front of her, gazing at her with so much love in his eyes. She has to see if he is real, she has to take that chance. Her arm slowly stretches toward him, bringing her hand up to his face. She hesitates before reaching all the way to his cheek. Her hand meets flesh.

“I am here because you want me to be,” he says as he brings his hand comes up and gently wipes away the tears from her eyes.

“Steffen, please don’t leave me again,” Narcisa cries as she looks through her tear-filled eyes at him.

She has kept her hand on his cheek and now moves closer until her whole body is up against his. She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him as tight as she can. His arms come up and wrap around her waist so that they are so close she feels like they are one person.

“I’m sorry love, but I cannot stay forever.”

She sobs against his neck. She feels the warmth radiate off of his skin and she holds him, while she cries, the tears streaming down her cheeks. His hand comes back up and he runs his fingers through her soft, auburn hair, pushing back the hair out of her eyes and then coming to rest on her face. He wipes her tears away again with his thumb and she feels a warmth going through her every time he touches her.

“Steffen, please make love to me, she says urgently.

He brings his head down and plants soft kisses on her wet face and cups her face with his hands. His lips come to rest on hers and stay here for a moment. He tastes the salt of her tears on her lips as he continues to softly kiss her. He lifts his head up, looks deeply into her eyes before meeting her lips again. With just a teasing amount of pressure her lips open up to him, welcoming his tongue into her mouth, searching and meeting with her own. She moans into his mouth as their tongues swirl and play with each other.

“Oh fuck, Steffen, I need you so much please make love to me,” she moans out once they break their kiss.

Narcisa takes his hand, never losing eye contact with him. She leans up and kisses him again. It’s clear to her that he doesn’t have long and she wants to make every moment last. She raises her hands to his shirt and unbuttons it showing a little bit more of his chest with each button undone. Narcisa’s eyes peer down to his chest as she slides his shirt off of him. Her hands come up and rest on his heart. She knows this is a dream and that he isn’t alive but his heart is beating right there in his chest.

Chapter 1 »