Book Excerpt -- A Soldier's Destiny

I admit that I have been more than tardy in posting a new excerpt. Some of that has been my lack of energy from chemo. But that's been only part of the reason. I've been having trouble writing love scenes for this book. I've got lots of mayhem going on. There are two major fight scenes in the first fifty pages. I'm not having any problems spinning an intricate, suspenseful yarn. But the love scenes were not coming (no pun intended) as easily as the fighting. And then my hubs weighed in on the topic. He pointed out that my love scenes, like my fighting scenes or any other scene have to have something to do with character exposition. I know that two healthy, young men don't have to have much of a reason to have sex, but despite opinions from some quarters, I'm not writing porn. I want the love scenes to be both hot and meaningful.

It took a lot of puzzling with a puzzler that isn't working at full tilt, but I finally figured out what the characters as a couple are working against in this book. Rik and Vincent have to fight to have time together. Their jobs and the needs of their extended family threaten to sap every second out of every day. Thus, every love scene in the book is precious to the characters. Sometimes, things don't go smoothly. Once I figured that out, the scenes came (get your mind out of the gutter) more easily. In this excerpt, the pair has been through a hellacious evening only to have an unexpected visitor.

Warning! Minor spoilers for A Soldier's Destiny; explicit homoerotic content.

EXCERPT

Dinner was my favorite pot roast and potatoes. Then, my plan was to have Vincent for dessert. The adrenaline from the fight still coursed through our veins. The energy crackled between us, demanding release. That night, I planned to show my Love who was in charge. I pinned him easily on the sofa, because he wasn't quite expecting it. As I slanted my mouth across his, my hands were in his hair, freeing it from its ties. We were making out on the sofa when the alarm sounded once again. I groaned against Vincent's mouth. I had kissed him to the point where I felt him yielding. I really didn't want to stop.

“Tell me this is a false alarm,” I said into the intercom. It didn't matter how I sounded. Vincent was still clinging to me.

“I wish the hell it was,” Heisler muttered. “Go to Camera 2.”

Vincent punched up the feed to our TV. There, sitting in the waiting area reading a newspaper was Simon Molinar. My lover huffed impatiently as I rolled off him.

“He said that he believes he has an appointment with you two,” Heisler continued. “What do we do? The guards were moved to safety without incident.”

“We'll bring him to Auerbach,” I said. “I don't think he'll be a problem. But send Maximilian down as well.”

“Will do.”

“At least he waited until after dinner,” I sighed.

“Let's put the fucker in a box, so I can fuck you,” Vincent muttered.

“Yes, dear,” I smirked.

Molinar was still reading the paper when we ambled up to him. It was incredible to realize how old he must be. For all appearances, he looked younger than me. Only his eyes belied his nearly angelic face. There was so much going on in those deeply calm, gray-green eyes, I could never begin to read them.

“Simon Molinar?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied smoothly. “Thank you for seeing me. Are you remodeling?”

I looked at the bullet damage and other wreckage wryly.

“No. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, I suppose,” He replied. He was amused. “How do we proceed?”

“Follow us,” I said as Maximilian fell in alongside us.

“I remember you from news reports on that terrible incident at the border,” Molinar said to Maximilian. “You are an impressive specimen. Are you unique in your family?”

Maximilian looked at me quizzically.

“You can answer him, “ I said.

“I come from a long line of magnificently built Altereds,” he said with his usual pride.

“Fascinating,” Molinar murmured. I sensed pride in the Vampire. That hadn't occurred to me. “Where are we off to? Will I meet everyone now?”

“Not tonight,” I said. “The Benefactors aren't here and the medical team has its hands full just now. We are going to show you to your quarters. Tomorrow, you'll meet everyone.”

“What sort of quarters?”

“Quite comfortable, I promise,” I replied.

“I don't suppose there is a choice now,” Molinar murmured. “I'm seeing some very nasty Delphi night suns deployed about.”

“For the protection of the staff and installed under duress,” I admitted with surprising ease. “We knew that you are not a threat to us. We can't wait to find out what you want us to know.”

That admission placated and relaxed the Vampire. We walked in a comfortable silence to the Medical Wing for a brief moment.

“There is an energy about that nearly crackles along my skin,” Molinar remarked. “Is that something you keep going in the building for your powers?”

“We have ways of boosting our energy for defense that is part of the building,” I replied. “But they are not active right now.”

“That's just us,” Vincent said. “After releasing a lot of energy, we sometimes have residual output. No one else has ever felt it from us.”

“Not even I have,” Maximilian said with wonder.

“It's strong enough that I feel as though I've topped off,” the Vampire said thoughtfully.

Thankfully, we had arrived. I had been through too much to think about the implications of Molinar's observations. I knew that Vincent couldn't handle it just then. Besides, there were ways we had to dissipate that energy that I knew my lover was very anxious to resume. We showed Molinar to an Altered suite. There was a living area with a kitchenette and a huge entertainment center. The bedroom had a large bed, a lounge chair and another TV. Auerbach arrived on our heels. He seemed stunned to be meeting the Vampire in this manner.

“Remind me never to bet against you,” he said to me before extending a hand to Molinar. “Hello, Mr. Molinar. My name is Dr. Felix Auerbach. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for the welcome. And call me Simon.”

“Simon, we are terribly busy tonight. An emergency that must be attended to,” Auerbach said. “We would like to have you meet us tomorrow with the rest of the Benefactors when we can give you our full attention.”

“I appreciate your taking me in like this,” he said. “You are quite insightful to my situation.”

“That would be your progeny,” Auerbach said. “They seemed to know that you needed them.”

“Yeah, gramps,” Vincent said. “Make yourself at home. We'll catch you in the morning.”

Molinar was taken aback by my cheeky lover. Still, he smiled appreciatively.

“And don't worry, actual sunlight is only in one place in the facility, so you won't necessarily be restricted here,” I said. “But that will depend on you.”

“I shall be quite fine, gentlemen. Don't let me keep you further,” he said.

“There is an overnight kit with clothing and toiletries,” Auerbach said. “Give a shout if you need anything.”

“Thank you. Goodnight.”

Auerbach was silent for a while as we walked him back to his nerve center, so I spoke up.

“Doc, he'll keep until tomorrow. You have a full plate,” I said emphatically. “In fact, if Wolverine squad is stable, you should be eating then hitting the rack.”

“Yes, Doctor,” he quipped.

“We're serious, Doc,” Vincent said. “We count on you to hold us together. You can't burn out in one night with all this shit happening.”

That was far from eloquent, but it made the point.

“That's why I didn't stay to chat with him,” Auerbach assured us. “I plan to give the staff their marching orders, have a stiff belt and get some sleep. I promise.”

“Okay then. Goodnight, Doc. Goodnight, Maximilian,” I said. “We'll convene over breakfast tomorrow.”

I waited until we got back to the apartment before contacting Heisler again.

“Mark, no one is to go near Molinar tonight. That includes Auerbach unless there is an actual emergency,” I said. “And notify us first in that event.”

“Will do.”

Vincent looked concerned. “Do you think he'll try to talk to Molinar on his own?”

“Unlikely while he's dealing with Wolverine squad. I'm just being cautious,” I replied. “Our Doc is as earnest and curious as that Doctor Bassett. But I don't want to lose ours. This time, we'll look after him....Now, where were we? Oh, yes...”

I snatched Vincent against me and claimed his parted lips once more. My fingers found their way into his hair to free it again. Vincent was more resistant this time. I think his determination to make sure we did the deed before another interruption made him try to move things along. I couldn't have that. Getting off wasn't what we needed just then. We needed to really connect. That required time and care. It didn't seem like we had the luxury, but I was just as determined that we did.

Before the kiss could give way to a frenzy, I slowed it and deepened it while I slowly caressed his the elegant muscles along his back. During that very long, nearly lazy kiss, I moved us into the bedroom though I did not try to undress him. We fell onto the bed still kissing and caressing through our clothes. I was relentless though gentle with the kiss. Vincent relaxed as we settled onto the sheets. He yielded with something between a sigh and a moan. Then, I pulled off his top. With one hand holding him down by on shoulder, I kissed and licked his collarbones. I next kissed, licked, sucked and nipped my way down his torso making sure I paid torturous attention to his nipples and navel. Vincent was writhing and cursing at me by the time I pulled his boots and pants off. It was amazing how he could make the term sadistic bastard sound so sexy. I think it was the need and desperation in the tone.

My response was to take his erection in my mouth to the root. There was much less cursing then. In fact, there were no intelligible words until my name was wailed as my Love came hard in my mouth.

“Why do you take me that way first, when you know I want you in me,” Vincent murmured as he watched me undress.

“Those cute, little hips have a diabolical way of thwarting my plans unless you're sated,”I replied reasonably.

That got me an impish grin. He quieted as soon as I crawled between his legs.

“We need a nice long ride to dissipate the energy between us,” I murmured as I prepped him.

“Whatever, Colonel Bastard, just get on ….uhnhhhh...”

I watched his eyes while I had him. They were dark and almost fathomless and filled with lust and love. It was a long and slow ride. The tension built slowly at first, but when I finally touched Vincent's reawakened erection, he could stand no more. Those hips went to work in earnest bringing us over the edge a short while later. I cried out his name while he wailed mine. The connection between us sizzled. The air seemed to crackle. It was amazing.

“Was that long enough for you, Colonel?” Vincent murmured as we lay entwined with each other under warm blankets.

“It never is, Love,” I replied with as sigh. I squeezed him close for a moment. “But it will do for now.”

The regular blog will be up tomorrow.