by Elle Thorne
“Hey, Rush. Thank you for that.” Caayn hadn’t gone in with Rush and Mn’eth to get the three women. He’d been concerned that one of them might recognize him. And that one would be the one that probably saw his picture in a file, much like he’d have seen hers, if he’d looked.
“Anytime.”
Chapter Nine
Smyrna fiddled with the hem of the dress she’d rather not be wearing in the charade she’d rather not be in.
What the hell. Damned spaceship broke down. Or so the guys that brought them here said. Except they didn’t say spaceship. They said ship, she reminded herself.
This one was different than the first one they’d been on. Smyrna hadn’t been much into steampunk movies, but the inside of this ship reminded her of one.
On the outside, it resembled a predatory bird, sleek and deadly, but corridors had been wider than the ones on Frax’s ship.
Large brass and copper tubes or pipes with oversized rivets, gauges, and panels could be seen in the corridor. It had personality, though for the life of her, Smyrna couldn’t have said the function of any particular item on the vessel.
“I wonder why they didn’t tell us we’d be switching ships,” Emily said.
“It’s not like they planned it,” Smyrna snapped, a bit frustrated at having spent four hours with the two girls and having discovered they were locked in this room.
Captain Frax didn’t lock them in before.
“Why did Captain Frax lock us in this time?” Katrina echoed Smyrna’s thoughts.
“Because he’s a dick?”
“Smyrna!” Emily coughed with embarrassment.
“Sorry.” But she didn’t mean it.
“Why haven’t we seen Frax? Why didn’t he come over here to tell us personally, ogling us while he did? This is weird. Did you notice the voice that told us not to panic if the ride became bumpy?” Katrina’s eyes twinkled. “That wasn’t Frax. That sounded like the guy you’d want to wake up next to.”
“Katrina!” Emily’s face reddened. “We’re here to be married.”
“What? I didn’t say me.” Katrina winked. “Anyway, I’m not married yet. What if that photo was one of those bait and switch type of things? What if it’s twenty years old and he’s an ancient, decrepit alien.”
Smyrna smiled. Maybe she’d misjudged Katrina. “What would you do if it was?”
“I’d run away.”
“You know the contract says—”
“Fuck the contract. I’d say using a fake photo counts as breaking the contract. So as far as I’m concerned…” She shrugged.
“How would you run away when you don’t even know how to. Or where to go. Or if there’s any place to hide. It could be a desert. Maybe, they don’t have cars. Or horses. Maybe you have to walk.” Smyrna ticked off the things that could go wrong.
“Great. Negative Nancy. Trust me, I’d find a way.”
The gleam in Katrina’s eye convinced Smyrna she would.
A sound at the door brought the conversation to a halt.
“Someone’s knocking,” Emily whispered.
Seconds later, the door opened.
Smyrna stared. “You.”
Chapter Ten
Caayn had the answer now. By the suns, did he ever. Recognition flared in her eyes. She was clearly the one chosen for him.
“May I speak to you in private?”
Her eyes narrowed.
Odd reception for a woman who was supposedly eager to be his bride. Odd reception for a woman who abandoned her existence and her planet to come here and hand-fast to him.
Finally, she spoke. “Sure.”
He turned and led the way out of the room, glanced at Rush, who stood by the door. “Take care of the other ladies, please. See to their needs.”
As the door closed behind him, the two remaining women were questioning why the door was locked.
They received no answers.
The woman followed him to his private dining room. He held the chair out for her.
“Thank you.” Seated, she studied him with eyes so dark, he’d be lost in them.
If I were interested, he reminded himself.
“I wasn’t told you’d be meeting me at a space station. They said we’d meet on Janus.”
Was that hostility in her tone?
“We are not going to Janus.”
She flew out of her seat. “The hell we aren’t.”
Caayn took a moment to appraise her. Beautiful hair, nice figure, flashing eyes, and a scar that spanned her neck, from beneath one ear, almost to her clavicle. It wasn’t an old scar, and it looked like it was made by a blade.
Who would have sliced her throat, and why?
“Please be seated. Let’s discuss this rationally.”
“Rationally?” She slapped the table with her palm. “I signed up to go to Janus.”
“You signed up to be my bride.”
“On Janus.”
“Do you really want to go to a primitive planet? Half of Janus is inhabited by remnants of the original colony.”
As though Marcomal is better?
No, it wasn’t better.
She scowled at him. “I have to go to Janus.”
“Who said? Our government or yours?”
“What?” She was out of her seat, pacing back and forth.
Caayn couldn’t take his eyes off the figure that kept crossing before him. A perfect set of breasts that tapered toward a waist that thankfully wasn’t anorexic, and then flared to a set of hips.
This woman is female. All female.
He breathed out while she kept up the pacing.
And he was male, after all. And it had been a long time since he’d been with a woman.
She whirled around, catching him off-guard. “Would you stop that?”
He sat back and watched her face with amusement. “Stop what?”
She swaggered forward and leaned in.
He resisted the urge to check out the cleavage her dress was offering him.
She jabbed a finger into his chest. “Stop checking me out.”
“I’m not.” Liar. “And there’s been a mistake.”
Her eyes narrowed, lips flattened, though not into a thin line. One couldn’t flatten lips that full into a thin anything. “What mistake?”
“I think they sent me the wrong woman.” Infernal meteors from the crevice of doom. Where the hell did that come from?
He heaved a sigh. He’d always thought he was good at thinking on his feet. Now, he doubted himself.
“What do you mean?” A hint of panic made a brief appearance in her eyes.
Panic? What’s that about?
“I mean, something must have happened during the process. Why do you think I didn’t recognize you? I was looking for someone else.” I am good. I’m getting the hang of this lying thing quickly.
And that bothered him.
Chapter Eleven
“I don’t understand.” Smyrna stared at the man from the file.
Caayn Fellish.
This wasn’t the time to note how damned sexy the man was. Sure, when he’d first opened the door, she’d been floored. That picture didn’t do him justice. Not one bit.
He was all sexy. All male, built like a cyborg, muscles and perfection.
That was then. Now, she wondered if she wasn’t going to hate him within the next few moments.
What the fuck was he talking about?
It felt like everything she’d dreamed of was being sucked down a drain. She couldn’t be the wrong one. He couldn’t just up and return her. This wasn’t a PennyMart transaction.
He shrugged.
No, that didn’t emphasize his muscles. Not one bit.
The hell it didn’t.
His brow rose slowly, then he gave a nod that looked like he’d reached a conclusion. “It looks like Outreach made an error. Or I did, but I don’t see how I could have.”
“Can you at least take me to Janus?”
He did a double take.
“Do you realize what you’re asking?”
“For a ride.”
He raised a brow. “It’s not across the lane, and it’s not above the corner market.”
“Well, I get that.” She crossed her arms over her chest, legs shoulder width apart. “But my passage was booked for Janus. And to me, it looks like I’ve been kidnapped.”
His face lost some of that healthy tan glow it had when he’d first walked up. Clearly, that struck a nerve.
She pressed on, bravado spawned by his reaction. “That’s right. Imagine my government’s reaction. Imagine your government’s. Imagine you’ll be prosecuted for kidnapping me.”
“But—”
“Save it. I want to see a cop. Law enforcement. Someone who can put your ass in jail for breach of contract. I saw the paperwork. We’re both bound by that contract. And it sounds like you’re reneging.”
“There is no law enforcement out here. We’re not in anyone’s jurisdiction.”
“Fine.” She gave him a tight smile. “I’ll wait until we land wherever the hell you’re taking us.” Something occurred to her. “By the way. I’m not the only one you’ve abducted. Emily and Katrina. That’s right. All three of us. And guess what, jerk wad.”
He tilted his head, waiting for her to answer, seeming not the least concerned.
Well, this should get to him. “Yeah, Emily’s soon to be husband is Boron. He’s some kind of big shot.”
Caayn released a laugh, a hearty one that seemed genuine and rose from his gut.
“What’s so funny?”
He shook his head. “Boron does not concern me.”
“Something should concern you, because our government is going to be pissed about this.”
Truth was, she was peeved that he didn’t seem concerned. Hell, she was more than peeved. She was categorically afraid. Time for a different strategy.
She tried to make her smile genuine, her mannerisms more feminine, striving for the things that Razor and Branson told her to do. Though in earnest, those things made her feel downright stupid and silly. But she’d need some of that feminine charm and to appear helpless. Surely, there was chivalry in outer space?
“I have an idea.”
His brow rose, and a certain gleam struck his eyes, his interest clearly piqued. “Do tell, Miss… your name?”
How could he not know her name? Did he not get the same file she did? Did he not—that didn’t seem to matter right now.
“Smyrna. Smyrna de Soto.”
“Smyrna,” he repeated, as though completely unaware.
“It was in my file,” she pointed out.
He nodded. “Your idea?”
“Yes. Well…” Time to spin. “I’ll tell you.”
He sat back, hooked a chair with his foot, and pulled it toward her. “Be seated.”
She gave him a dirty look at the commanding tone in his voice.
“Please,” he amended.
She nodded and joined him, pulling in closer, trying to set the tone for the secret she was about to divulge.
“I didn’t come here looking for a mate.”
“No?” The muscles in his jaw worked.
She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. “Well, no. I mean, I did, but it wasn’t you.”
“You are saying that your result was flawed? As mine was?”
“No. I’m saying I made up a story to pretend to be the kind of woman that would appeal to someone so I could secure passage to Janus.”
“Are you saying men don’t usually find you appealing?” He ran a hand over stubble.
Smyrna looked away. She had to. The sight of this sexy man, doing that—
—he’s not even my type.
Who the hell was she kidding? The dude was the type of any woman who had a pulse. Even a faint pulse. He was too good to be true. Lickable. Perfect.
And he is not going to be a distraction.
Period.
She smiled as big a grin as she could put on. “I’m happy. Glad I’m not the one that you want because my reason for going to Janus was to find my boyfriend—fiancé—”
He shook his head, almost like he was trying to clear it. Dark hair scattered, giving him a messy look that added to his good looks. “You have a fiancé? On Janus?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “And I’m carrying his baby.” Holy buckets. She’d gone too far. But had she? If it got her what she wanted…
He toyed with a pattern on the table before them, tracing circles on the metal surface for a long time. “So, you weren’t looking for a mate?”
She shook her head. “No. I mean yes. But only one specific one. Him.”
He rose. Now, it seemed it was his turn to pace, making hard turns in the little room. “This means you would be in breach of the contract.”
“I know.”
He paused, looked at her straight on and released a large breath with a whooshing sound. “If you break the contract, and go to Janus, you’ll be arrested. I won’t see a pregnant woman in jail. Not if I could have stopped it.”
“Oh please,” she blustered. “You kidnapped me. You don’t even want me. So now you want me to believe that suddenly you care?”
He was silent for a long time. At least, it seemed like a long time.
“They expect a public ceremony.”
“They who? And why?”
“They, the people in my government behind this program. As to the why? My guess? Publicity stunt.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. My brother signed me up.” He clamped his lips shut. His jaw muscles clenching overtime.
Chapter Twelve
Caayn couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe what the hell just slipped out of his mouth. What the hell was that about? Stone-cold sober. Not a single drink in him, and yet, this. He lost his mind and somehow let out his secret.
Smyrna’s nostrils flared. Her pupils dilated and her eyes flickered wide for a brief second before she regained control of her reaction to his announcement.
He could see the gears of her mind turning. It was obvious she was processing his revelation and planning her next words.
Finally, she spoke. “I wasn’t the wrong one, was I?”
“Is this your ego asking?”
She flew out of the chair and her body was almost touching his, so close, he could feel the heat of it against his, though they weren’t in contact.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
He blinked slowly to keep from being affected by her presence. Since when did women do this to him? Since when did he not control his body, his mind… curses, even his forsaken mouth had betrayed him, telling her the truth.
“Your brother signed you up for the program. You had nothing to do with it. Is that what you’re saying?”
He nodded.
Her natural scent reminded him of summer nights under the stars. Of the sweetest liquor that produced a headiness similar to the headiness of being in love. He held his breath to keep from inhaling more.
“And now you’re trapped? Bound by the same contract I am?”
Another nod.
She stepped back.
He breathed in, then released the air to ease his burning lungs.
“So, what’s next,” he asked. It seemed she held the cards. Or at least, she might hold a winning hand. More winning than his.
“I need to find Baldwin.”
He gave her a hard look. “Baldwin Porter? That’s your… fiancé?” He found his gut churning with disgust. He wondered if she had any clue what that bastard was about.
She let out a gasp. “You know Baldwin?”
“A bit.” Enough to make me want to kill the scum.
Eagerness crossed her face. “Can you help me find him?”
He was sure revulsion made its way to his features and fought to push it back.
“I’ll do anything if you’ll help me find him.”
He put a hand out toward her.
She flinched and pulled back.
/> He reached out farther, letting his fingertip rest on the scar’s end at her clavicle, then traced it upward toward its beginning, just beneath her ear.
“Tell me about this.”
Chapter Thirteen
Smyrna flinched. But her reaction had nothing to do with the fear that she felt. Nothing to do the night that Baldwin Porter gave her that scar.
Her response had everything to do with this man before her. She was confused. It wasn’t like she wasn’t accustomed to hot, sexy men. Hell, look at Razor and Branson. But this man…
She clenched her hands into fists to still her out-of-control heartbeat.
His fingertip was still touching her flesh at that pulse point just below her ear. She tried to take a step back but found herself against the wall.
“Please.”
He looked at her, a quizzical expression on his face. “Yes?”
“I’m—could—please, give me some space.”
He took a step back. “You don’t look so well. You’re flushed.”
No doubt.
He pulled a glass from a cupboard and poured water from a pitcher on the side cabinet, then handed it to her.
Smyrna drank, taking long swallows until the glass was empty.
“More?”
She shook her head. He watched her, waiting.
Waiting for the story.
“I stepped into the middle of an attack on a friend of mine.” Leticia, being attacked by Baldwin Porter. Leticia almost dead, bleeding, her clothes torn, her body broken. “This is what happened.”
She touched the scar with light fingertips. This is the reason I can’t bear to be in the dark. This is one of the reasons I live and breathe. Seeking revenge, driven by my wrath.
“And the friend?”
She shook her head. “She didn’t make it.”
His massive shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I know the pain of losing a friend.”
She nodded her thanks at his acknowledgment.
“What about the one who cut you? Your friend’s attacker?”
“He’s in hiding. Jumped after posting bail.”
“So, no justice?”
Smyrna didn’t answer. She had nothing to say. What could be said about it? Leticia was gone. Baldwin Porter was alive and breathing. For now.