He shook his head and said stubbornly, “He was important to you. That memory deserves to be honored.”
Kayla looked down at the picture. Pretz's smiling face stared up at her and she studied it for a long time. She traced her fingers over his image. She felt a pang of sadness, remembering his laughter. “Why are you doing this to me, Carl?”
“It’s important for you to talk about it. The more you talk about it, the easier it'll get. You’ve kept this bottled inside for almost a year. Don’t you think it’s time you let some of your pain out?”
He didn't understand. It wasn't just about losing Pretz. She'd lost part of herself when he died. “What do you know about it? You know absolutely nothing about losing someone you care about! He was one of the only people who ever gave me a second thought. Because of me, he’s gone. If I had only…”
Her eyes welled with tears and she looked away.
“Kayla, it’s not your fault. It’s Ramiro’s and Vex’s fault. If it weren’t for them, he'd still be alive. You need to stop blaming yourself.”
Carl's voice was full of compassion and it made the heaviness in her chest even worse. Kayla put the picture aside, not wanting to look at it anymore. “Go away, Carl. I don’t want to talk about this.”
He ignored her request. Instead, he sat down next to her and put his arm around her. She stiffened but didn’t pull away.
“What was he like?” he asked, and put the picture back on her lap again.
He was torturing her. She wanted to lash out and push him away but she doubted it would do any good. That tactic had proven ineffective with him. She hung her head in resignation. “He…he was the only person in Ramiro’s crew with an ounce of talent and charm.”
“You met him when he came to your camp?”
Kayla nodded. She smiled at the memory, brushing tears out of her eyes. “Yeah, he was an impossible flirt. He used to wait for me outside Leo’s camp and follow me to our scavenge sites. He was incredibly annoying and sweet at the same time.”
“Was he the one who taught you how to work locks?”
“Mmhmm,” she murmured, and traced his outline on the photograph. “I was already pretty good at locks, but he was amazing. He knew how competitive I was and turned it into a game. There was this stupid song he used to hum while he was working the locks. It drove me crazy because it was so distracting, but I'd love to hear it one more time.”
“What was it that you liked about him?”
Kayla sighed and leaned into him, letting his warmth surround her. “He loved being in the ruins. Although I think part of him said that because he knew how I felt about them. He used to sneak off from Ramiro’s camp to go scavenging with me. We would end up sitting there and talking for hours. He was such a dreamer.”
“What do you mean?”
“He always had these big plans for the future,” she explained with a laugh. “He wanted to one day run his own camp or make some kind of outrageous discovery and try to buy his way into the towers.”
“What about you? Did you want that too?”
She shook her head. “No. Until Pretz, I'd never thought about the future. If I spent all my time fantasizing about the future, I’d forget to live in the present. But he seemed to enjoy it and I liked listening to him.”
Kayla put the picture down on the small table next to her bed. “I never told him I loved him. I didn’t even realize I did until after he was gone.”
Carl looked at her in surprise. “I’m sure he knew how much you cared for him.”
“Maybe,” she said in a quiet voice. She hoped he did. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life is far too unpredictable.”
“I agree, but that’s part of what makes it precious.” Carl reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. His hand caressed the side of her face, sending chills through her. “I should probably let you get some rest.”
“Carl, wait.” She put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Don’t go yet.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re still recovering, Kayla. You should try to get as much rest as you can. We can talk more tomorrow. The sooner you heal, the sooner you can go back into the ruins.”
“I know,” she said impatiently, but her thoughts weren't on scavenging. In forcing her to confront her demons, he'd loosened something inside her.
What she felt for Carl wasn't the same as what she'd felt for Pretz. There was no substitution. Her relationship with Pretz had been consummated in innocence. They'd both been blind to the realities of their harsh world. With Carl, there was no future and he'd never make empty promises. In some ways, it made it easier. She could live fully in the moment with him and not worry about tomorrow.
Kayla leaned toward him and pressed her lips against his. When he didn’t immediately push her away, she wrapped her arms around him. There was only a moment of hesitation before he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer to him. She shifted herself so she was straddling his lap and could more easily tease his mouth with her lips.
He broke the kiss. “Kayla, you’re still injured.”
“Shut up, Carl.” She pushed him back on her bed. She didn't want words right now. She needed to just…feel. Kayla kissed his neck and nipped at his earlobe while his hands roamed down her back toward her waist. She sat up and ran her fingers lightly over his chest before reaching down and pulling her shirt over her head. She tossed it across the room and looked down at him intently, waiting to see if he would accept what she offered.
* * * *
Carl took a deep breath as he looked up at her partially nude body. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her dark hair fell around her face and her green eyes were full of desire. His hands wandered from her slim waist up toward her breasts. Her skin was incredibly soft and the scent of her was intoxicating.
“Kayla,” he murmured, not wanting to break the moment but needing to say the words. “I’m a trader. Are you sure about this?”
“You talk too much, Carl.” She tugged on his shirt. He sat up to help her remove it. She threw it on the floor and turned to him with a look of fierce determination. “I’ll face whatever comes. I don’t want to wait. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day, but right now, this is what I need. I need to feel alive.”
Carl stared at her, powerless to refuse her. She was offering a large part of herself to him and selfishly, he wanted to take it. He couldn’t remember ever wanting someone the way he wanted her.
She ran her fingers across his chest and he pulled her close to him. When his mouth found hers again, he gently flipped her over, pinning her to the bed. She wrapped her legs around him and he was struck by the intense need to be inside her.
This woman drove him to the edge of sanity. Her smell surrounded him, intoxicating him, and driving him to possess her. He forced himself to slow down and bent down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. She gasped as he flicked his tongue against her nipple and suckled gently.
“Carl. I want…I need…”
“Shhh. I know.”
His nimble fingers pulled her shorts off while his mouth teased her navel. When he reached the soft mound of dark curls, he gently spread her open and tasted her sweetness. She gasped and her hands fisted in the blankets.
He found the sensitive nodule above her opening and gently worked it with his tongue. When she cried out, shuddering in release, he moved back up to cover her body with his own. He unhooked his own pants and slipped them off. He positioned himself outside of her hot, moist entrance and paused.
“Kayla, look at me.”
Her eyes fluttered opened, still dazed from her orgasm. He held her gaze as he began to push inside her, not stopping until he was fully seated within her. Kayla gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders, pulling him toward her.
She was so tight and hot and it took all of his control not to lose himself completely. He forced himself to move slowly inside her, trying to give her time to get used to him.
Carl shifted her
slightly and found the sensitive nodule again with his fingers. He rubbed against it while she clung to him and cried out as her excitement grew. His rhythm increased as her body responded to his. Feeling her writhing under him with her soft cries in his ears was a heady combination.
When she wrapped her legs around him and whimpered in his ear, Carl felt as though he was already lost. He plunged into her depths without abandon and he felt her meet him stroke for stroke. When she trembled with her own release a second time, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He pushed into her once more and exploded inside her.
He collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her hair. After a moment, he became dimly aware he was probably crushing her. He rolled over to give her a chance to breathe and looked down at her.
Her skin was flushed from their lovemaking and she had a small smile on her face. Her eyes were closed and he was struck once again by how stunning she was. He bent down and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around him in response.
He felt a faint stirring inside him already and was mildly surprised at the reaction she evoked from him. He pulled back and asked, “Kayla?”
“Hmmm?” she replied, and lazily opened her eyes.
Carl propped himself up on his elbow, worried he'd been too rough. In the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten about her injuries. “Are you all right?”
She lifted her hand to touch his face and murmured, “Mmhmm. I’m better than all right. I feel wonderful.”
Carl lightly brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. “Get some rest, sweetheart.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around her and held her while she slept.
Chapter Nine
Several hours later, Kayla woke up with Carl’s arm draped over her. Warm and content, she cuddled up next to him and watched him sleep. He normally kept his dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, but it fell loose around his face while he slept. She definitely preferred it down. He looks so relaxed and peaceful. She lightly traced her fingers along the contours of his face.
His brown eyes opened and she offered him a smile. He pulled her closer to him and she kissed his neck, teasing the sensitive areas with her tongue. She felt him shiver and she hid a smile against his skin, loving the effect she had on him.
She continued kissing his neck before moving down toward his chest. His hands found her waist and he pulled her on top of him. His voice was husky in her ear. “Your kisses are driving me crazy.”
She straddled him and ran her fingers down the course of his firm chest. His hands moved across her skin and he cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs against the hardened buds. He sat up to take one of her nipples into his mouth and she felt the pull in her core. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him close to her.
His comlink flashed and beeped, interrupting them. Kayla felt a moment of annoyance but ignored the call, going back to kissing his shoulder. She ran her hands down his muscular arms and he cursed when the comlink beeped again. He reached over and glanced at the communication device before hitting the button to enable audio. “What is it?”
Cruncher’s voice came over the com. “Sorry to bother you this early, Boss, but Xantham says we’ve got two riders approaching.”
“Thanks.” He cut off the call with a sigh.
Kayla sat back. “You have to go?”
He cupped her face and kissed her deeply. She melted into his embrace, disappointed when he pulled away.
“I can’t tell you how much I wish I didn’t. But Cruncher wouldn’t have called me if it wasn’t important.”
She slid off his lap. He stood up and grabbed his clothes off the floor.
“Do you know who it is?”
He pulled on his clothes and tied his hair back from his face. “I’m not sure but I suspect it’s the representatives from OmniLab.”
She groaned. “So the impressive Omnis actually decided to come down from their lofty towers and slum it with the rest of us.”
He held out his hand for her and helped her up. He pulled her close once more and lowered his mouth to hers. “I’d rather be here right now than anywhere near those lofty towers.”
Her stomach fluttered at his words and she smiled at him. She grabbed her shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. “I’m going to go take a nice long shower and think about all of the things I want to do to you when I get you alone again.”
Carl stared at her with a mournful expression. “You’re an evil and cruel woman, Kayla.”
Kayla laughed and pulled on her shorts. “Go take care of your guests. I’ll see you a bit later.”
* * * *
Once he was gone, Kayla poked her head out of her private quarters. Most of the other privacy dividers were still enabled, indicating they were still sleeping. She pulled out some clean clothes and headed to the lavatory.
She was feeling much better. The soreness from her injuries was barely noticeable. After checking in the mirror, she decided the bruises had pretty much completely disappeared. She went through her morning ritual unhurried before wandering out to the common room. Xantham and Arlisia sat at the table eating breakfast and chatting.
“Good morning,” Kayla called out as she walked over to the food preparation area.
Xantham grinned at her. “It’s always a good morning when you’re around. Want to join us?”
She returned his smile. “Yeah, one sec.” She programmed the computer to heat her food before bringing it over to the table.
Xantham patted the chair next to him and she slid into it. Arlisia gave her an annoyed look before going back to her meal. Determined not to let Arlisia’s attitude bother her, she asked politely, “How are you, Arlisia?”
The blonde girl stiffened slightly but replied, “I’m fine.”
“Glad to hear it.” Kayla took a bite of the rehydrated prepared food and considered Arlisia. The girl stared down at her plate with a dour expression and picked at her food. Her blonde curls were pulled back in a high ponytail away from her heart-shaped face. Her skin was fair and her eyes were a pale blue color that Kayla thought was rather nice.
Aware that Kayla was watching her, Arlisia looked up and snapped, “Don’t you have anything better to do than to stare at me?”
Kayla raised her eyebrows in surprise. “No harm meant. I was just thinking that you had rather pretty eyes.”
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Kayla.
So much for playing nice. Kayla leaned back, considering her options. If she were back in Leo's camp, she'd have already smacked Arlisia down. Since she suspected that wouldn't go over well, she'd have to call her on her bullshit instead. “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve sat in the same room with you for more than five minutes. I’m just wondering how long it’ll take before you stop looking at me like you wish I’d go ruin diving without a cable.”
Arlisia pursed her lips. “We should both be so lucky. Obviously, Carl’s personal ministrations last night have you feeling much better.”
Xantham’s eyes widened. “Oh, man, if you two are going to start a catfight, let me know. I’ve gotta’ get a video of this.”
Kayla took another bite of her breakfast and shrugged. Inwardly, she agreed. It was hard not to feel much better, thanks to Carl's “personal ministrations,” but she wasn't inclined to discuss that with Arlisia. Although, the look on her face might be worth it.
“If a catfight is what it's going to take for Arlisia to get this out of her system, I’m down. But she doesn’t strike me as the type.”
Arlisia gave her a look of disgust and stood up. She dumped her plate into the recycler. “I don’t know what Carl sees in you. You walk in here and act like you own the place and everyone starts swooning over you. You’re unreservedly pathetic, crude, and even Carl thinks you’re reckless and irresponsible.”
Kayla stood up and leaned over the table. “Watch it, Arlisia. I don’t usually get into a battle of wits against the unarmed, but I migh
t be willing to make an exception. Right now, I can empathize with what you’re going through, but if you keep walking down this line, you’ll find out how much of a bitch I can be.”
“I think I’ve already figured that out,” Arlisia replied, and strode out of the room.
“Damn,” Kayla muttered, and sat back down, poking at her breakfast.
Xantham gave her a sympathetic look. “It’s okay. She’ll eventually get over it.”
Kayla shook her head. “No, not that. That was a damn classy exit. I hate not getting the last word.”
Xantham roared with laughter. Kayla grinned at him and took another bite.
“Did I miss something?” a voice asked. Kayla turned to see Cruncher standing in the doorway watching them.
“Nah,” Kayla said dismissively.
Cruncher shrugged. “Kayla, if you’ve got a minute, Carl’s meeting with two representatives from OmniLab. Couple of strange characters, if you ask me. They want to meet you though. Carl thought you might be interested in joining him now since they’re going to start negotiating on the items you scavenged.”
“Fun stuff. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Thanks. Come on into Carl’s office when you’re done.”
Xantham let out a low whistle. “Omnis here? This is turning out to be one strange week. I’ve gotta’ go outside and check out their bikes.”
He jumped up and practically ran toward the entrance. Kayla couldn’t blame him. If she thought she could get away with blowing off the Omnis, she'd do it. With a sigh, she dumped her plate and headed to Carl’s office. She pressed the button on the wall and the door slid open.
Carl looked up as she entered. He smiled at her in greeting. “Thanks for coming. I’d like you to meet Director Borshin and Master Veritan from the OmniLab Towers. Gentlemen, this is our newest recruit.”
Director Borshin was an older man, shaped a little like a barrel. He was completely bald with a smooth polished dome and gray eyes that regarded her with polite interest. He was dressed in UV protective gear that looked similar to the equipment Carl had acquired from OmniLab. The Director could possibly pass as a trader or as someone on a trader’s crew, but the other man was a different story.
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