I won’t make it in time. In his nightmare, the citadel went dark before he reached it. When he boarded, it was to find her frozen body.

No. No. No! He clawed his way out of the horrible loop he was caught in, cognizant enough to realize this wasn’t real.

“Dara!” He called her name as soon as consciousness was his to command. He fluttered open his eyes to see the familiar ceiling of his room.

Before he could rise, fingers gripped his and a face hovered into view. Worried blue eyes perused him. “About time you woke up. Karson drugged you extra hard to ensure you wouldn’t exert yourself before the nano healing took hold.”

“What’s happened? I should get to the bridge.” He went to rise, but she pressed him back down.

“You’re not going anywhere. Everything is fine. The dark citadel was destroyed. And the one on the planet with Raffie is gone.”

“Gone?” He struggled to sit. “What do you mean gone?”

She shrugged. “Turns out it could still fly. It destroyed the Rhomanii vessel and took off. And before you ask, I don’t know where, and I don’t care. Bloody Raffie betrayed me.”

“Was he a real person, then? I didn’t imagine it?”

“Not your imagination as to if he’s real. As real as a personality caught in a mainframe can be.”

“So we’re safe?” he asked, collapsing back against the pillows.

“Depends on your definition of— Eek.” She let out a cry as he yanked her down atop him. “Koby, what are you doing?”

“Making sure we’re alive.” Before she could say a word, he cupped the back of her head and drew her close. He devoured her lips, the touch of her finally easing the knot inside him. The fear he might have lost her forever.

He no longer cared about the past. He couldn’t live without her in his future.

The linen of her shirt rubbed across his chest, and it bothered him since he wanted to feel flesh. It took but moments to tug on it with her protesting.

“Koby, your wound. The doctor said to not exert yourself.”

“Then help me get this off.”

Rather than argue, she pulled back far enough to strip. Once she was naked, she returned to press herself against him. The soft skin hot against his. Her nipples nubs that dug into his flesh.

He slid his tongue between her parted lips and played with hers. Despite the slight twinge of the wound in his side, he caressed her buttocks, cupping and squeezing, positioning her over his engorged shaft.

“Ride me.” Whispered against her lips.

“Always giving orders, eh, Captain?” she teased, yet she still straddled him, her bent legs on either side of his body. She tugged the blanket covering him down far enough to expose him. His cock strained, dark and thick.

She hovered atop him, her paleness a sharp contrast. Leaning back, she exposed her sex and gave him a clear view of his dick sliding in. He loved watching. Loved feeling how wet she was,

She seated herself, driving him deep, and he grunted as his hips jerked upwards. Her turn to cry out and fall forward, sharp nails digging into his chest.

As she moaned and rotated her hips, he joined the rhythm, angling upwards and deeper, doing his best to grind and thrust.

Her moans grew breathy, her rocking faster as her sex clenched him tight. His turn to moan as she brought him to the brink.

She leaned down and whispered, “I love you.”

He came, came hard and deep, shouting, “Fuck me, I love you, Dara Jameson.” He always would.

Just like he loved his daughter, even when she crawled into bed with them the next morning, a knee in his sac, her body snuggling between them atop the blankets.

“Love you, Daddy. Love you, Mommy.”

A captain’s family, forever.