Hagen, Lynn and Glenn, Stormy - End of the Line [Lady Blue Crew 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (3 page)

“Whoa, slow down.” Remy chuckled. “We don’t have any live animals onboard the ship, but I might consider getting one or two if you really want one. However, it would be your responsibility to care for it.”

“Can I have a puppy?” Gigi whispered in awe. “I’ve never seen a real live puppy. They don’t have them back on Earth. Well, they do, but you have to have lots of credits to have one, and I don’t—” Gigi suddenly snapped his mouth shut and dropped his eyes.

“Gigi?” Remy reached down and lifted the man’s face, trying his best to keep his long claws from scratching his angel. “You can say anything you want to me. Don’t be afraid.”

“Can I go now?”

“Go?” Remy frowned then waved his hand toward the porthole window. “Go where, Gigi? We’re in space.”

The blood drained from Gigi’s face as he raced over to the window and peered out, leaving it pasty white. “We’re in space?” Gigi whispered. He looked desperate when he glanced over his shoulder. “But—I only had enough credits to get to End of the Line. I can’t pay you.”

Remy smiled. Credits were the least of his concerns. “You don’t have to pay me anything, Gigi. You are more than welcome aboard my ship.”

“Your ship?” Gigi’s head snapped around. “This is your ship?”

“It is. I share it with my crew, but it is home to me.” Remy drew in a deep breath, wishing that he hadn’t when Gigi’s sweet scent invaded his senses. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

Gigi’s head tilted slightly, and a delicious frown drew his eyebrows together. “Why?”

“Why?” Remy gulped as he frantically searched for an answer. He knew Gigi was frightened, and he didn’t want to add to that, but he didn’t want to lie to him either. “Because we need another crew member. Five is an unlucky number. What can you do?” Remy patted himself on the back for the great save. It was true about the unlucky number, but neither he nor his crew members gave a shit about superstitions.

* * * *

Gigi shrugged as he looked out of the window again. The one thing he knew how to do well was something he wasn’t willing to do anymore. He racked his brain to think of something he could offer this big…whatever he was. He heard the large man walk up behind him and sighed as he turned to face him. What could he do?

“I can cook,” he said as his head fell back on his shoulders, staring up into smoky grey eyes. “Do you need a cook? If you get me that cow, I can do lots of things with it. Well, if you have the right ingredients I can do lots of things with it.”

Gigi jumped slightly when that rumbling noise came from Remy’s chest again. It was scary and fascinating all at the same time. Gigi’s eyes stole a quick glance at the large cock between the creature’s legs.

Remy may be used to walking around naked with his bits and pieces hanging out, but Gigi wasn’t used to it. He could feel his face heat up as he hurriedly glanced at his shoes. If Remy planned on using that cock on him, Gigi was in a world of trouble.

“We could always use a cook.” Remy smiled at him, and Gigi’s brain short-circuited. “Let’s go to the mess hall and get you fed first.”

“Okay.”

Gigi followed Remy into what he had called a mess hall. The place was spotless. He wasn’t sure what was so messy about it, but it looked as though he could eat off the floor. He set his bag down on one of the tables, wincing when he noticed how dirty it looked compared to the shiny stainless steel of the table.

“What would you like with your steak, Gigi?” Remy asked as he walked over to a food replicator on the far wall.

As poor as Gigi had been, even he could have afforded a new-looking model. He wasn’t going to complain, though. Remy was being cool about his stowaway status and not trying to chuck him out of the nearest air lock.

“Potatoes. Do you have fresh potatoes?” he asked as his stomach growled in agreement.

“I’m not too sure about fresh, but I’ll see what we can do here.” Remy played with the buttons, smacking the small box a few times.

Gigi was no expert, but he was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to abuse the appliances. He took a seat on the steel bench as he waited for a meal he hadn’t had in a very long time. Steak was like gold in New Chicago. He was actually surprised this ship had it by the looks of it. He had noticed a few things along the way to the mess hall that looked like they were in bad need of repair.

“Here you go.” Remy brought the plate over and set it down on the table.

Gigi gulped, wondering how offended Remy would be if he refused to eat it. The steak still had blood running from it, and the potatoes looked green around the edges. Just the sight of it made Gigi’s stomach roll.

“What’s wrong?” Remy asked as his brows pulled together in a deep frown. “It’s steak.”

“I like mine cooked, not still mooing.” Gigi glanced up at Remy, waiting for the open-handed smack across the face that usually accompanied his flippant mouth. To his utter shock, Remy chuckled. He chuckled? Gigi wasn’t sure how to handle that.

“It does look like it’s still grazing in the field, doesn’t it?” Remy picked the plate up and tossed it in the compact trash recycler. “Let’s try this again.”

“Do you have a kitchen?” Gigi asked hesitantly.

So far, the big man had yet to get angry with him. Gigi wanted to keep it that way as long as he could. He wasn’t stupid. Sooner or later, Remy would smack him around. He knew that. Every big man he had ever met liked to pick on those weaker than him. Gigi had no reason to believe Remy was any different.

“I guess you could call it a kitchen.” Remy pointed to a door on the far wall. “We really don’t use it much. The replicator is easier since none of us know how to cook.”

Gigi decided to venture farther. “Do you have any food not produced from a replicator?”

“Uh…”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do.”

Gigi walked to the replicator and started pushing buttons. He was really hoping things would turn out okay because he had never seen a food replicating machine this old before. He wasn’t sure what he’d end up with.

After several tries and a few things that couldn’t be identified, Gigi had a collection of vegetables and two raw steaks in his hands. He felt Remy follow him as he walked into the unused kitchen and set everything down on the counter.

The first order of business was to see what he had to work with. The cooking equipment seemed to be old but in working order. There were clean dishes in the cupboard and a shelf filled with spices.

Gigi smiled over at Remy. “I can work with this, but if you want me to continue to cook, we’re going to have to stop for supplies. Getting food out of the replicator should only happen in emergencies. You need real food to keep your muscles strong and your body healthy.”

Gigi chuckled when Remy nodded. The way the man’s eyebrows were drawn together in a slight frown painted an entirely different picture. Remy didn’t have a clue what Gigi was talking about. Gigi knew the man…err…creature, would figure it out when he tasted the food. Home-cooked was always better.

It didn’t take Gigi long to get the steaks sprinkled with spices and cooking on the grill. He could see Remy’s nose twitching as he flipped them then went to cutting the vegetables up. Gigi decided to grill the vegetables and mash the potatoes. He wanted to impress Remy with his abilities, as slim as they were. He wanted this job.

Once the cubed potatoes were boiling and the vegetables grilling, Gigi leaned against the counter and waited. His eyes wandered to the tall man leaning against the wall by the door. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it.

The man was naked. And hot. And—sweet hell, would you look at the size of his cock? All of a sudden, Gigi felt flushed. He prayed his face wasn’t glowing with embarrassment as he turned away.

He’d seen it once before in the other room but had quickly looked away. It wasn’t polite. Really. But it was just hanging there. Gigi once again found himself glancing over. Okay, it wasn’t just hanging there. It was actually starting to thicken and rise even as Gigi watched.

Gigi’s eyes snapped up when he heard a slight growl. They widened considerably more when he saw Remy looking straight at him. Oh hell, he’d been caught. Gigi wrung his hands together as he quickly looked away again.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “That was very rude. I just—don’t you have any clothes you can put on? It’s very distracting having you standing there naked,” he said as he waved a hand behind him at Remy’s naked form.

“You find me standing here naked distracting?”

So much amusement was laced in Remy’s voice that Gigi couldn’t help but look over at the man. Despite every wish he had flashing before his eyes, Gigi found himself looking down at the man’s cock yet again.

Gigi thought he was going to die of embarrassment when Remy flexed his thighs and his cock bounced up and down. He felt his face burn as he turned his back on the naked man. Staring would not be permitted. He wouldn’t allow it. It couldn’t happen. ’Cause it made his own cock harden and ache, and that just would not do. He needed this job. He didn’t need to come on to his boss.

“Hey, Remy, what is that wonderful smell?” a voice from the other room shouted. “For a minute there, I almost thought you had real food in here.”

Gigi swung around and trembled when Remy growled and turned to face whoever was in the other room. That was some scary-ass shit. Remy growled. What in the hell was that from?

Gigi had no experience with growling. He didn’t know how to react. Drake shouted. He didn’t growl. Gigi couldn’t figure out why he was intrigued by Remy growling when Drake’s shouting scared the crap out of him.

Gigi glanced down for a moment, a small sizzling noise reminding him that he was cooking.

“The food is almost done,” he commented when the silence became awkward.

* * * *

Blade walked into the mess hall, following a delicious scent. Tank, Colt, and Crank were close behind him. “Holy shit. I think it is real food.”

“How?” Colt asked as he inhaled deeply. “That kitchen hasn’t been used in years. Hell, I forgot it was even there.”

Blade ignored the weapons specialist as he ventured closer. From what he had witnessed earlier, he wasn’t taking any chances. Remy seemed to be in some sort of protective mode with the stowaway, and he wasn’t going to have his balls handed to him—not even for real food.

“To hell with this, I want some of whatever that smell is.” Tank rushed past them and into the kitchen.

Colt, Crank, and Blade stood there frozen as the sound of pots and pans clanged all over. There was a yelp or two, followed by what sounded like a drawer full of utensils hitting the floor. The painful grunt that followed made them all wince.

“Anyone else want to go see what’s cooking?” Blade asked the two remaining men standing behind him.

“Only if you go first,” Crank dared him. “I may look crazy, but for the record, I’m not.”

“Fine,” Blade huffed as he turned to Colt. “What about you?”

“When pigs are seen flying outside the portal window, jackass,” Colt grumbled as the three waited to see what would happen next.

They took a few quick steps back when Tank tumbled out of the double-chrome doors, a pot on his head and his clothes ripped in various places. “Steak, they’re cooking steak,” he said before falling face-first onto the floor.

“Damn. I don’t think Remy is sharing,” Crank complained, sounding very unhappy about it.

“Uh, Tank, who’s piloting the ship?” Blade asked as he took a step closer to the kitchen, his eyes watching for Remy as he nudged the downed man with his foot.

“Auto,” a mumble came from the pilot.

“I thought the autopilot was malfunctioning?” Colt asked as the three looked between each other.