Breakwater: Custer (BBW Bad Boy Space Bear Shifter Romance) by Becca Fanning Read Free Book Online Page B

where one of Delphine’s victims lay. She turned to give him a modicum of privacy as he divested the merc of his clothing.

    The realization of what she had done swept over her but, to her surprise, she didn’t feel panic or fear. Instead, a warm, light feeling spread through her and a smile stole over her face. She had made her decision. This man was important to her, and she would keep him safe for as long as she could. Dying, it seemed, was a much less intimidating concept when she had something worth dying for.

    “Alright, off we go,” Custer said, picking the bottle up and recovering his multitool from where he’d tossed it before shifting.

    They walked back out into the cool air, people passing by on their way to anywhere. Either no one knew or no one cared about what had happened in the bar. The stroll back to the ship was quiet, Delphine still putting the pieces of her new life in order and Custer uncharacteristically silent. They stood closer together than normal, the heat of Custer’s body prickling along Delphine’s arm. She was a little surprised to notice that she was smiling.

    “Have fun?” Annie smirked as they walked into the cargo bay.

    “Actually, we got attacked by mercenaries,” Custer said happily. “But we got the information. Are the others back?”

    “Hyde is, Zosha and Rick aren’t,” Annie said. “Who sent the mercenaries?”

    “They weren’t Mason,” Delphine responded.

    “The bartender who told me how to contact the Rabblerouser tipped them off that someone was snooping around,” Custer added. “They must have still had friends in the area from when they worked out of here. He didn’t seem like a ‘play both sides’ kind of man, so I’m honestly a little surprised.”

    Annie snorted. “Go get cleaned up. Delphine, you can use the shower in Leo and my cabin.”

    “Yeah, don’t do that, we all know how much sex they have in there. Zosha and Rick seem the types to keep it to the bed and, on special occasions, the wall, so if you want to try theirs they probably won’t mind.”

    Delphine nodded to Annie and followed Custer towards the crew’s rooms.

    “Alright, this is Rick and Zosha’s room,” Custer said, pressing buttons on the pad next to the door. “Now, Rick thinks me, Hyde, and Dom don’t know the code, so I’d appreciate it if you let him think you broke in through nefarious means if he asks.”

    “Will do,” Delphine said. She stepped inside, awkwardly avoiding the evidence of other people’s lives as she made her way to the bathroom. It was small and clean, with an unused towel hanging by the shower. Delphine sighed as she stripped off her sweaty clothing and stepped into the stall, activating the sonics. She grabbed one of the bottles of body wash and squeezed some into her palm, rubbing her hands together. The tingling feeling of the sonics and the sensation of the fruity-smelling soap she lathered over her body erasing the strain of the day was amazing. She massaged her shoulder, soothing the aches, and rolled her neck. If she had ever felt this peaceful before she couldn’t remember it. Hurtling towards her death was the most comfortable she’d ever been.

    Her mind wandered as she soaped herself up and, unsurprisingly, it wandered right into Custer. She wondered what would happen if she kissed him, if she touched him. She’d had sex before, both on assignments and with other splices to scratch the itch, but it always felt impersonal. Sex with Custer, she was sure, would be nothing like that. If she was going to start getting things because she wanted them and not because they were necessary for survival, then this was the top of her list.  

    She imagined what his lips would feel like on hers, how his hands would feel against her skin.   He wouldn’t be gentle, she decided, because he knew she didn’t need him to be. She wouldn’t be handled like glass. It would be fun and passionate instead. She ran her fingertips softly up and