~Juniper's POV~
The hum of the spaceship's engines was a constant lullaby, vibrating through the sleek metal walls of the Odyssey. I, Juniper Martin, had been a space cadet for three years now, and this solo mission with Mario Russo felt like a dream assignment. Or maybe a nightmare waiting to happen.
We were charting a new asteroid belt for the Earth Space Command, our urban inspired habitat pod mimicking a high-rise apartment in New York, complete with holographic windows showing starry vistas and a control station that looked like a futuristic c**k-pit bar.
Mario was my partner in every sense but the intimate one. Tall, broad shouldered, with that Italian olive skin and dark curls that begged to be tugged, he'd been my colleague since training. We'd shared bunks on long hauls, stol
