by Anna Hackett
Suddenly Xander was there, his big body an inch from hers. She noted the small black bow at his neck. He looked breathtaking. Her heart hammered and stars, she was getting damp just looking at him.
“Stunning.” He traced a finger over her bare shoulder, then over the fabric, rubbing between his fingers. “Silky. Your skin is smoother, though.”
No one had ever called her—Malin Phoenix, salvage mechanic—stunning before. She dipped her head. “Thanks.”
His breath was warm on her cheek. “I still prefer you in your coveralls though.” He nipped at her earlobe. “Or even better, naked.”
Mal quivered. He was getting far too good at this seduction thing.
He straightened, his face taking on a more serious edge. “You’ll stay by my side. The entire time.”
She reached up and straightened his collar. “I’ll have to, you’ll need protection from the ladies.”
“I only have eyes for one lady.” He lowered his head.
“Don’t wreck my lipstick,” she murmured, at the same time wishing he would.
One gentle kiss to the hinge of her jaw. “One question.”
“Anything.”
“What’s beneath this dress?”
Mal pulled back, running her tongue over her teeth. “Nothing.”
His nostrils flared. “You should have lied.”
“The fabric’s too fluid, anything beneath would have left lines.”
“Be quiet.” He gripped her arm. “By my side. All the time.”
Her cousins trooped in. Dathan whistled. Zayn grinned like a fool, and even Niklas smiled.
“Mal, you are a vision.” Dathan circled around them. “And CenSec, I didn’t think you’d scrub up this well.”
“Only five minutes to teletransportation,” Zayn said, moving to the controls.
“Four minutes and twenty five seconds,” Xander said.
Mal smothered a smile.
“Okay, I’ve sent your biosigns through to Technis Control so they can lock onto you for the teletrans.”
Xander grabbed Malin’s hand, his hold tight.
“Right.” Mal swallowed. She really had avoided thinking about the teletransportation. Please don’t let us end up in a wall or muddled together.
“Good luck. Both of you,” Niklas said.
“Thanks, Nik.”
Dathan came over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Listen to the CenSec. He’ll protect you with his life if he has to.”
Mal saw something in her cousin’s eyes. Had he softened toward Xander? Well. Wonders never ceased. She nodded.
Zayn tossed them a cheeky salute. “One minute.” He shot Xander a grin. “And five seconds.”
“Ready?” she asked Xander.
“Ready.” His hand tightened on hers.
Suddenly light bloomed around them, a bright blue that twisted and turned.
There was a moment of disorientation. A feeling of flying apart and coming back together.
She blinked and they stood in a small room. Two people, a man and a woman, stood at a console nearby.
“Welcome to Technis and the Technomancer’s Ball,” the woman said in a bright voice.
Stiffening her spine and pasting on a smile, Mal slipped her arm into Xander’s. “Come on, honey. I’m terribly thirsty.”
They moved in the direction of the door the woman pointed out.
“Honey?” A hint of a smile on his lips.
A bit more time with him and she bet she could bring out his smile. A real one that he felt deep down. Now if only she could keep him long enough to hear him laugh. The thought made pain twist inside her. Once this mission was over, Centax would be his only thought. She would be a distant memory. Hopefully a pleasant one.
“You’re right, you aren’t a honey.” She pursed her lips studying him. “Maybe hottie?”
He shook his head and they stepped into the ballroom.
“Sweet scrap,” Mal breathed.
The cavernous room was…spectacular. She’d never seen anything like it.
From the ceiling hung huge chandeliers of twisted metal. She tipped her head back to look at the one above them. It looked like it was made from…she squinted…from starships, consoles and if she wasn’t mistaken, satellites.
There were statues made of other metallic parts dotted around the room. They looked like old-fashioned robots fashioned from spare parts—an arm of syndroid, a head made from a computer, the body made from some sort of transport and starship landing struts for legs. They were kind of scary but intriguing at the same time.
But the recessed shelves set into the walls were the most amazing.
Each one housed a technological artifact or treasure. Mal and Xander strolled past each one. An ancient Terran tablet computer, a pre-Sync communicator, an old satellite, an early nuclear starship engine.
“Oh my stars, Xander. Look.” Mal kept her voice hushed.
It was an ancient Terran television. From long before holo technology. So incredibly old.
“Forge has quite a collection.”
And Mal had no trouble imagining why he’d been so eager to add the Antikythera to his treasures.
Stars, Dathan, Nik and Zayn would love to see this stuff. In a way, the place reminded her a little of home. With her salvaged scrap and her cousins’ treasures lying side by side in the hangar.
Mal swept the room with her gaze, this time studying the guests. Lots of people, lots of species. A female Vatinae sauntered past them, towering over Xander. Her skin had a green sheen and she looked like a giant praying mantis with humanoid features. Not far beyond them, stood a mated pair of Galli telepaths. Both wore elaborate robes in rich colors, the taller woman stroking the neck of her shorter female mate.
The clothes throughout the room were also varied and colorful. It seemed that out here, beyond the edge of the galaxy, people liked riotous color. Many of the outfits were in crazy neon colors—pinks, oranges, greens and blues. Even the men were wearing bright colors with skin-tight trousers and blousy tops.
Mal tried to picture Xander in an outfit like that, and failed. She was pretty happy he’d gone traditional. The man looked sensational in black.
“Let’s circulate,” she whispered.
He tugged her around a group of laughing pointy-eared Rendarians. “Recon.”
“Yes, recon.” Once a CenSec, always a CenSec.
They moved in a circle around the room. Sampled the food on the heavily-laden tables. There was something to tempt everyone from unappetizing gray cloned fruit to fresh hydroponic salads. Mal grabbed a flute of golden champagne and allowed herself one sip. It tasted like gold as well.
They chatted and smiled with a few guests. Well, Mal smiled and chatted. Xander just stared and made people nervous.
With a quiet laugh, she pulled him away. “Any sign of our host yet?”
Xander shook his head. “I’ve heard he waits for all his guests to arrive before making a grand entrance.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
He tapped his ear. “Enhanced senses, remember. I can filter out multiple conversations at once.”
Mal eyed the room again. It was getting full now and over in one corner, a band had started playing. The music was fast and loud. A few intrepid couples had ventured onto the dance floor and were moving to the frenetic beat.
She turned into Xander’s chest. “Want to dance?”
“No.”
“Come on, let’s—”
Suddenly the music stopped, replaced by the deafening beat of drums. They spun and at the head of the room, the walls began retracting with a muffled whirr.
A huge metal…well, Mal wasn’t quite sure what it was. She forced her lips to stay pressed together to keep her mouth from hanging open. It was a creature made of scrap. It moved forward on six legs.
And standing atop it was a tall, thin man in a top hat and tails the color of copper.
He raised his arms. “Welcome, one and all, to the lair of the Technom
ancer.”
Mal had to admire the man’s style. She saw Forge touch something on his arm. “What’s that?” she whispered to Xander.
Xander’s eyes glowed a faint green. “Some sort of computer screen. It looks integrated into his arm.”
Hmm, so Forge was a little cyborg as well.
Suddenly the scrap robot statues around the room whirred to life. They all took a synchronized step forward and turned to face their master.
Mal gasped. Not statues, syndroids. Incredible. Well, they were a little too crude to be called syndroids. She was sticking with the old-fashioned word of robot.
Forge smiled and gave a small bow. “Welcome to the greatest party on the galaxy’s edge.”
The crowd cheered. The robots moved again, mimicking his bow. More wild cheering.
“For now, eat, drink, dance and stay tuned for my great reveal. The pièce de résistance of my techno collection.” With an athletic move, he leaped off the metal creature, somersaulted and landed on the ground.
“Well, he’s got style.” Mal would choose a Rabin freightership for Forge. They were all kinds of quirky, and renowned for doing things a pilot never expected.
Xander’s brows pulled together. “He’s all show.”
Mal bumped her shoulder against his. “Don’t worry. Some girls prefer contained and quiet. Still waters, and all that.”
His lips quirked.
“I saw that. That was another smile.”
“I don’t smile.”
She gripped his head, yanked him down and pressed her lips to his. “Liar.”
“I don’t—”
She waved him off. “I know, I know. Look, we should split up. Do a round, see if we can spot anything to do with the Antikythera.”
He nodded. “But don’t go too far. I want you in visual range.”
“You’ll scan me anyway. If my heart rate so much as trips, you can ride to my rescue.” Again she stole another quick kiss. “I like having my own private cyborg.”
His hand clenched on her waist, then he released her with great reluctance. “See you soon.”
Mal watched him stride away. He looked the part of ball guest, but you’d never mistake him for anything other than focused and lethal.
And boy, she was going to have fun removing that tuxedo later.
Of course, he’d be celebrating having the mechanism back. Her smile melted away. That meant once they were back in charted space, he’d be gone from her life.
Ignoring the uncomfortable pain in her belly, she wandered through the crowd. She spied plenty more robots made from space junk. She had to admit, Forge had a talent for recycling. His creativity was admirable.
She’d leaned in close to study one of the robots, when a firm hand gripped her bare shoulder. She spun.
And everything inside her turned to ice.
She pasted on a fake smile. “Aston.”
“Malin, you look incredible.” With a galaxy-wide smile, Aston Granger stood there, eying her and twirling a tall glass of some neon-pink drink.
Her smile turned even more brittle. “Oh, well, it took me an entire day to scrub the grease off my hands, but a girl does what she can.”
She saw his practiced smile slip before he shored it up.
“I’ve never seen you look this radiant.”
Because I’m not with you, jerk. He was still handsome, damn it, blond hair falling over a chiseled face. He was dressed in fashionable tight trousers of deep green with a paler green billowy shirt. He looked…well, ridiculous.
Shock rushed through her. Seeing him didn’t sting. If anything, she felt faint annoyance.
She’d always thought of Aston as a flashy starliner. Sleek, expensive, built for pleasure. She still thought of a starliner—just one that had been refurbished one too many times and was a little seedy around the edges.
She searched around for some neutral subject. “How’s business?”
“Good. Just got a retired cruisership into the docks. She’s a beauty, you’d love her.”
Mal deliberately looked away from him. “Hmm.”
She felt him shift closer. “Maybe you might want to swing past and take a look.”
Yeah, and engineless starships might fly. “I’m pretty busy at the moment.”
When she felt a finger trace over her shoulder, she tensed and shrugged his touch away. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I just realized how much I miss you, Mal.”
“Look, Aston, I’m here with someone.”
“But he can’t give you what I can.”
No, thank the stars. “The past is the past. Let’s leave it there.”
“Mal—” he grabbed her arm.
Suddenly, a black blur was between them, wrenching Aston away and pushing him back three steps. Aston stumbled, spilling his pink drink over his shirt.
Mal took one glance at the frigid look on Xander’s face and quickly slipped under his arm and pressed up against his front. “He’s not worth it, Xander.” She dropped her voice. “Not worth risking our mission.”
“He touched you.”
Stars, she felt the hidden fury pumping off him. And she liked it.
She smoothed her hands inside his jacket, over the pale, ice-blue shirt she looked forward to ripping off him later. “Forget him. I only want to be touched by you.” She pressed her cheek to his chest.
She felt him draw a few quick breaths.
Aston strode closer, face contorted with anger. “Hey, I don’t know who the hell you are—”
With his face twisted with overdramatic emotion, Mal decided Aston looked downright unattractive.
Xander slammed a hand around Aston’s throat and lifted him two inches off the floor. “I’m Malin’s. That’s all you need to know.”
Aston’s face was turning an interesting shade of scarlet. His wild gaze skimmed over Xander’s implant.
“Leave her alone. Nod if you understand me.” Xander’s voice was a forbidding murmur. “If you don’t, I’ll take great pleasure in making you understand.”
Holy stars, Mal was sure Aston was going to wet his stylish trousers.
The salvage dealer gave a jerky nod and Xander set him down.
Aston rubbed his neck and put several meters between him and Xander. The distance obviously gave him courage. “I knew you liked machines, Mal, but fucking one, that’s bottom of the barrel. Even for a salvage rat like you.”
Mal’s eyes widened and she quickly wrapped her arms around Xander’s waist. Felt the coiled tension. “Not worth it, tough guy. Keep your cool.” She looked back at Aston ‘son of a bitch’ Granger. “Actually Aston, I scraped the bottom of the barrel with you. Xander’s so good, I’m not even in the barrel anymore.”
Aston’s face flushed before he spun and stomped away.
“That man hurt you,” Xander said quietly. “Made you think less of yourself.”
“Seems silly now.” Since she’d met a sexy cyborg who thought she was pretty damn awesome just as she was, she changed her thinking. “Okay, tough guy, I really need that drink and we have an ancient artifact to find.”
Chapter Nineteen
Mal wandered, waiting for Xander to return with her drink.
She was stuck thinking about her little epiphany.
She was over Aston.
Completely. One hundred percent. And she’d never really been in love with him. She’d been in love with the idea of being in love.
What she felt for Xander far outweighed anything she’d felt for Aston Granger. She pressed her fingers to her eyes and her heart plummeted to her feet. Stars, she was an idiot.
She was hopelessly in love with a CenSec.
“He must have been a fool.”
The resonant voice had her turning. Her stomach clenched. Forge leaned against a table, watching her.
“Who?” Keep it cool, Mal.
“Aston Granger.” Forge straightened and walked closer, his gaze dropping down her body. Not in a smarmy way, but there was a
malicious sort of edge to it. “A really big fool to walk away from you.”
“You make a habit of eavesdropping?”
A flash of a blinding-white smile. “Every day. This is my planet and I know everything that happens on it.”
He wasn’t handsome. Not in any kind of conventional way. His long body was a little too lean and his features a little too bland. But he had a force of presence that sort of blasted out of him. His eyes were a pale brown, an amber-gold that glowed.
She looked away. Where the hell was Xander? “You have a great place here. These robots are amazing.”
“You like to work with machines?”
“Yes. I’m a salvage mechanic.”
Those amber eyes brightened even more. “My perfect woman.” His gaze bored into her. He stepped closer, into her space. “If you were mine, I’d never, never let you go.”
If Xander had said those words, she’d be delirious. Coming from this man, they made her skin crawl.
“Well, my companion mightn’t be too happy about that.”
“I hope he’s better than Aston Granger.”
“I am.”
Xander’s deep voice came from behind Mal. A second later she felt his warmth as he pressed up against her back. He leaned an arm over her and passed her a tall glass full of a pale green liquid. She grabbed it and took a hasty sip. It wasn’t alcoholic but it was cold and refreshing.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Forge…master of this domain. ” He gave a small bow.
“I’m Malin and this is Xander.”
Forge studied Xander’s face, his attention zeroing in on Xander’s disguised implant. “A cyborg. Fascinating. As you know, I am a creator of machines.”
“I’m not a machine.”
Forge tilted his head. “Really?”
“I was born a man. I’m enhanced.”
“Hmm. Did you get it done out here on the edge? So many hacks willing to pop in an implant for the right price.” His gaze again on Xander’s pristine implant. “They usually do shoddy work, leave terrible scars, or worse, kill their patient.”
Xander remained silent.
“Then there are the few cyborg worlds. Torgue, Cletron…Centax.”