Promise of Love (2 page)

"It is a little sparse,” Stuart spoke, interrupting her thoughts and survey of his small room. “Your quarters are probably much more,” he paused for the word, “personalized."

There's nothing really stark to the room
, Rieko thought,
efficient maybe. How could this man of such confidence sometimes have such a low self-esteem
?

"There are more pictures I suppose,” she finally said. Rieko thought about all the pictures filling her quarters. There wasn't one picture of anyone in his room, not even his parents.

Stuart just gave her a slight grimace, his blue eyes filled with worry.
Okay, now you've done it, Rieko
.
Find something good to say about his room
.

Frantically searching for something to talk about, her eyes fell on a framed piece of paper. Age had turned the paper crisp and yellow. Printed text filled it, with a messy signature to the lower right side. She wondered what that was.

Stuart followed her eyes. “A speech Sir Winston Churchill gave to the House of Commons during World War II.” Stuart MacEwan had a framed version of some old speech. Winston Churchill was one of those names she should know from history classes. She, at least, remembered he was English.

"We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...” Stuart quoted for her. She had to admit the words were stirring.

"That's his signature?” Rieko asked. Stuart nodded in reply.

Rieko looked to the shelf above the desk. Beside the neat books was a green helmet, like soldiers would have worn with a dent in the side and a case with an old gun.

Stuart turned behind him to see the shelf. “The helmet is from World War II, although I think it belonged to a yank,” he told her. “The gun is circa World War I.” His voice held the same enthusiasm as when he spoke about blowing things up.

"You like history?” Rieko asked him. Now that was something she didn't know.

"Some parts of it.” He seemed a little less nervous.

As they continued to eat, Rieko noticed a small version of the British Union Jack on a wall and a painting of an ancient sailing ship riding the waves of a stormy sea. No, Stuart's quarters weren't full of tidbits like hers, but what it did hold likely told more about him.

Rieko took another bite of the Chicken Marsala as they sat again in silence. “Chef really does do a great job with Chicken Marsala,” she said to fill the void in conversation.

Stuart nodded his head. “He does."

She needed to stop talking about food with the man. “I never was very good at history,” Rieko admitted. He liked history, so maybe changing the subject to it would get him talking. “All those dates to remember."

"Never did have any problems with dates.” The gaze of his blue eyes met hers. Maybe that shouldn't surprise her; he was the kind of guy to do well with numbers. “Science I never got,” he admitted his scholastic weakness.

"You're in a spaceship. You must know something about, at least, astronomy,” Rieko said.

He shrugged a shoulder. “I know about weapons, which is what I do on the
Resolution
."

"I could teach you more about the stars, if you want,” she offered. It would be a lovely excuse for spending time with Stuart. Besides it would be payback for all his hard work teaching her to use pulse pistols.

Stuart shook his head in reply. “I'm sure my energy would be of better use elsewhere,” he spoke. Rieko wondered how much of his free time he spent working. Did the man know he could do other things than his duty? Did the man even have any hobbies?

Trying to think of another subject to talk about, Rieko's eyes fell to clutter on the nightstand. That wasn't like Stuart. Looking closer she noted it was a model ship in the process of construction. The clutter was actually organized into parts ready to be assembled.

"What is the model of?” Rieko asked. She turned back to see Stuart halt mid bite with his fork halfway raised, a piece of chicken speared to it.

"The
HMS Resolution
.” He glanced at the model, fork still suspended in the air.

"You like models?” She noted, however, that there were none completed in the room.

"Yes,” he answered, and then continued the progress of his fork. After he had chewed and swallowed, he continued, “I find it relaxing.”
Model building relaxing
? Rieko couldn't see how the stress of putting together all those pieces correctly could be relaxing, but then that may be precisely the thing Stuart would find relaxing.

The rest of the dinner conversation turned to the activities on the ship, the one thing they did share in common. They were such different people. They tried to keep the subject general, neither wanting to bore the other with talk about their expertise. Being truly passionate about what they did here on the
Resolution
, maybe that was something they shared in common. Was Stuart spending off-duty time checking weapons really any different than Rieko studying star charts in her spare time?

That British accent of his sounded so lovely, or maybe the better word was sexy. There was that little half smile of his that just barely tugged at his lips. That slight sarcastic humor of his, those deep blue eyes that kept looking so intently at her, as if they would pull her in if she only let them. Then there was his true smile, the one that played fully over his mouth, making his eyes sparkle.

He was gracing her with just that sort of smile right now. They were sitting on his bed that doubled as a couch, talking about Taylor Tipton, the ship's Chief Engineer and a friend of both, and his preoccupation with certain comic book heroes. Stuart had commented that Taylor seemed to think of himself as Superman, and Rieko had jokingly added that he probably even owned a blue shirt with the red and yellow ‘S’ on it.

As Stuart's chuckle died down, the smile faded from his features and he seemed uncomfortably close. His blue eyes burned with intensity and his face was now unreadable. “Lavender?” he asked with a rough voice as he leaned in closer, his body just barely touching hers.

"My perfume.” Rieko forced herself to look directly at his brilliant blue eyes. She could smell the scent of his aftershave between them, now mixed with that of her perfume. His eyes held such uncontrollable desire in them; they captivated her, holding her attentions as her breath caught in her throat.

Then his lips were on hers, one hand in her hair the other on her cheek, any space between then dissolved in passion. His tongue played across her teeth asking for entrance and she opened herself to him. Her hands gripped his strong shoulders. Stuart's tongue delved into her mouth. Rieko felt a hand roam down her side to her waist pulling more of her to him, his other hand tightly clenched in her hair. She met his tongue with hers, trying to match his passion with hers. She ran a hand through his hair and ruined the order he had given it. Her other hand gripped the back of that brilliant blue shirt he wore.

Then as quickly as he had begun, Stuart pulled away. She gave a soft moan of protest as he physically disentangled himself from her and pushed himself further from her on the couch.

Rieko looked at Stuart, knowing her face was full of confusion. Her breaths still came fast and hard. That kiss was...amazing. Who knew Stuart was such a great kisser? Why had he stopped?

Stuart's breathing sounded as labored as hers. His intense eyes bore into her still as if they wished they could give her all the answers with just a look. “I can't,” he gasped between breaths.

"What do you mean, you can't?” Rieko asked when she finally caught her breath. Was Stuart somehow incapable?

Stuart just shook his head. “I don't...,” he started, his breath coming more evenly.

"You don't find me attractive?” she finished. If he didn't want her that way, why kiss her? Why ask her to dinner?

He still looked at her intently. Stuart shook his head, his eyes pleading with her. Rieko moved closer to him, and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. Stuart almost reflexively flinched from her touch. His blue eyes now filled with fear.

What was he afraid of? His intense look once again returned. She made herself back away and let him find the words to say whatever he wanted to say.

"Rieko, I do find you attractive.” He paused, his face pinched in thought, his eyes looked elsewhere. His face relaxed, he closed his eyes, and his breathing grew deep and calm. Then his eyes shot open again, catching her in a stare now full of determination.

"I want to let...” His soft voice filled the silent air before he paused again. “I want to let myself let someone in,” he quietly told her. “Let myself really be known by someone.” Let himself, as if there was effort he had to give to do so. “This.” He struggled with words again. “The...” He gently waved an open hand between them.

"Kiss?” Rieko supplied a word.

"And more,” he added. Rieko wondered where he thought that kiss would lead. How far would she have let that kiss lead?

"I can't, not yet,” he said. “I...” He paused again and his look of determination shifted into something softer, gentler. “I don't want to hurt you, Rieko."

She wondered how Stuart could possibly hurt her. “I can,” he answered her look of doubt. “I could hurt you a great deal.” Rieko thought about protesting his admission, but the sense of truthfulness to his words, the hint of past experience caused her to remain silent. What would make him think he hurt people?

"Why me?” Rieko asked instead. If physical stuff, sex was going to be a problem, why pick someone he was attracted to. “Why not Taylor?” she added. Stuart was closer with Taylor than her, friendlier, more relaxed, more himself.

Stuart looked at her for a moment his lips slightly puckered. “I like you, Rieko.” He shrugged his shoulders. Then again, she already knew that much. “You're sweet, and friendly, and not as innocent as you seem,” he continued. None of that was helping his case.

"You don't find Taylor attractive,” Rieko spoke. There was a real answer and she wanted it.

Stuart looked shocked. Then his left cheek tugged his mouth into a small crooked smile, his eyes twinkled. “No, I do not find the lieutenant commander attractive, at all,” he answered. The smile faded from his lips. “I can't tell everything to another man.” Rieko wondered what he could tell a woman and not a man.
Better yet, why could he
?

"You were the only person that seemed right,” he softly added.

They sat there in silence for a bit. Maybe Rieko should feel honored Stuart had in an odd way asked for help. She wasn't entirely sure what he wanted, but for some reason, which he swore was important, he didn't want kisses, sex, or anything in between.

"Maybe next time we could meet in public,” Rieko spoke. Certainly he wouldn't think of making a move in public. Stuart nodded in reply. He looked at her awkwardly, and fidgeted. He was too polite to demand she get out of his quarters. “Would you like me to leave?” Rieko asked. “I'm okay with that."

"If that's alright."

Rieko stood with a smile. “Good night, Stuart."

"Good night, Rieko ,” Stuart replied.

Rieko saw herself out, feeling Stuart's eyes on her back. It had been the oddest dinner date she'd ever had.

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Since that night any other “dates” were in public. Truthfully she had seen a good deal of Stuart since then. They started eating lunch and dinner together. Something they had often done before, but now they made a point to do it. They found a great deal to talk about, more than Rieko ever thought possible.

They talked about their true passions in life, their work. Rieko knew that Stuart understood as much about her work as she did about his, but it was nice to see him talk about something he loved so much. His endless desire to get his weapons all working correctly. He actually enjoyed the time he spent calibrating his precious pistols and rifles and cannons. He talked about his hours worrying about ship safety, and the readiness of the security crew under him.

Stuart likely knew or cared little about his crew's personal lives, but he knew all of their weaknesses, strengths, and abilities. He seemed to be a demanding boss, but he fully trusted his security crew.

He also spent a great deal of time working on new technology. How to improve the weapons he had. How to make new weapons. When he talked about that stuff, she most enjoyed listening to his work. He often lost her in all the engineering and technical details, but he looked so inspired, so alive, she couldn't tell him to slow down and explain it better.

Then there were the movies. He wasn't a fan of many of them. If he wished to entertain himself, he would probably prefer reading a book, but Rieko had managed to drag him to a few movies during the ship's weekly movie nights. There were uses for sweet eyes, and other womanly ways of manipulation, although it helped that he was crazy about her.

It was at one of those movies, lights turned down in the rec hall, everyone's concentration on the screen before them, that Stuart had held her hand. Okay, it seemed like such a small gesture, and truthfully she couldn't remember the last time she'd been excited about such a thing.

They sat beside each other. Her right hand lay loosely on her leg. She was a little surprised by the flesh touching her. She quickly looked down to see Stuart's left hand tentatively touching hers. She sneaked a look at his face before turning back to the screen. He looked forward the same as everyone else.

As the movie proceeded, his fingers played over the top of her hand. She slightly raised her hand allowing him access to her palm, wondering why such a simple action made her heart beat so strongly. Eventually they interlocked their fingers, fully touching palm to palm. She would have liked those long fingers of his to play over other areas of her skin.

To thank him for seeing a few films she knew he not only didn't wish to see, but didn't really enjoy seeing, she agreed to see an American movie about World War II. Any of the other guys Stuart would have normally asked were busy. Mike worked night shift, making up a favor for a fellow helmsman. Taylor was busy with repairs. So, that left only Rieko to ask.