She granted him the reprieve, but didn’t sit idly by and allow him to explore. She touched him just as boldly as he touched her. He caressed her arms and she squeezed his, obviously fascinated by the thick muscles she found there. He cupped her breasts and she splayed her fingers across the upper curve of his chest, even mirroring the light stroke of his thumbs over her nipples. One of his hands descended along her belly to where their bodies joined. She lowered one of her hands too, interlacing their fingers. He found her clit with his middle finger and she seemed to lose interest in the game. He circled the sensitive knot of nerves, then used a back-and-forth motion to escalate her arousal.
Soon she shifted her hands to his shoulders and began rocking her hips. Her inner walls gripped and released him with the start of her orgasm. “That’s right, love. Let it come.” He pushed his free hand into her hair and tilted her head to the side. Their faces were on a level and he took full advantage of the position, sealing his mouth over hers as he guided her toward release.
“You said together,” she reminded in an urgent whisper, when they broke apart for a quick, deep breath.
He started to argue, then her orgasm hit and the strong, rippling spasms obliterated his control. Pleasure rolled through her, across their link and into him. He arched, butt tightly clenched as he released his seed in helpless shudders. The tremors went on and on, their beings merged so completely it was impossible to determine where the sensations originated.
He wrapped both arms around her and pressed her to his chest. “That was over way too soon.”
She kissed his damp neck, but didn’t lift her head. “We’ll go slowly next time.”
Next time. He hid his smile in her hair. As long as she wanted “next time” there was hope that he could win her heart.
* * * * *
It took over nine hours for all the involved crews to be briefed, so when the call finally came for Kaden and Lexie to proceed to the departure concourse, Kaden was nearly as anxious to get started as Lexie had been all day. He’d dressed for his part as her body guard, forgoing anything that connected him with the Rodyte military. He wore an armored shirt and synth-leather pants tucked in to armored boots. His hair had been secured at the nape of his neck to keep it from obscuring his vision. He had a plasma blaster on his hip and knives strapped to both thighs. Still, he felt naked without his flexblade. But the morphing weapons were expensive and extremely hard to control. Few mercenaries could afford one, much less acquire the training needed for their use. He was a common bodyguard from Outpost LA, not a ship’s commander from Lunar Nine. His only purpose was ensuring the safety of his employer.
And speaking of his employer. His gaze shifted to Lexie as they walked along the departure concourse toward the small grouping of Phantoms. Milanni’s ship was now docked beside the other shuttles. Lexie looked so damn hot in her costume that he felt his body stir. Horrible time for a hard-on, but who could blame him? A tight, front-lacing corset/vest of emerald green encased her upper body. Her breasts swelled well into view and her waist appeared tiny. A miniscule skirt hugged her hips and molded to her rounded ass, ending high on her thighs. Flat-heeled, thigh-high boots that also laced up the front completed the provocative outfit. She walked along with feigned confidence, shoulders squared, breasts thrust forward.
He started to reach for her hand, but stopped himself. He was her bodyguard not her lover. Forgetting their roles for even a moment could blow their cover. “How did you meet Milanni?”
“Friend of a friend,” she responded in a sultry half-whisper.
“Good. Keep your answers vague yet plausible.”
She chuckled. “This isn’t the first time I’ve pretended to be someone else, Kaden. Relax.”
Relax? That was laughable. He was about to fly into danger with his mate at his side. There was much about this mission he would change if he could.
“You and Zilor are basically self-directed,” she said. “Who’s organizing the fighters?”
“Wade Yorak, Commander of the Fearless. He has the most experience.”
Zilor gave Lexie a double take as they approached, but his expression revealed surprise rather than lust so Kaden only smiled. “Yeah, I barely recognized her too.”
“She looks…different.”
Lexie laughed. “You’d think neither of you had seen breasts before. Indigo’s right. Men are easy. Flash a little cleavage and you turn into stammering fools.”
It was hard to argue with her conclusion when it was all he could do not to gawk at her breasts.
They quickly confirmed their plans then headed to their ships. Zilor boarded one of the Phantoms, while Lexie and Kaden boarded Milanni’s ship. Kaden nodded to Torrin Lusk, their pilot for the mission. Kaden could fly many ships, and did so frequently, but he hadn’t had time to familiarize himself with this one. Besides, it was safer to leave someone on board in case they needed to be bio-streamed out of danger. Wrist triggers slowed down the process, and a second was all it took for a plasma blast to find its target.
He made the introductions, then they all strapped in. As they waited for final clearance, Kaden gave Lexie’s hand a quick squeeze. “Here we go.”
She snatched her hand away and snapped, “Do not touch me without permission.” Then she winked, assuring him she was just getting into character.
They followed Milanni’s instructions carefully, jumping to the exact location Fyran gave them, then broadcasting a subspace pulse to notify the Relentless of their arrival. They’d barely recovered from the jump when an energy net surrounded their ship and drew it forward.
“Release control of your ship and do not resist or the net will tear you apart,” a disembodied voice warned over the main com-channel.
Torrin made a quick adjustment then raised both hands.
“I don’t think they can see inside the ship,” Kaden teased him.
“This is the first time I’ve been trusted to fly a mission, sir. I’m not doing anything to screw it up.”
“Much appreciated. Still, I think you can put your hands down.”
Torrin lowered his elbows to the armrests, but kept his hands in the air.
An opening appeared in the blackness of space, revealing a small hanger bay. Apparently, Fyran or his engineers had found a way to launch and receive ships without lowering their covert shields. This was bad. If they could launch a ship, they could fire their weapons while still shielded. Garin had engineers working on the complication, but they had yet to find a solution. The fighters needed to know about this. Dakar was on the Fearless, so Kaden used their familial link to explain what he’d just learned. Dakar would tell Commander Levitt, and Levitt would tell the other commanders.
Torrin stayed on the ship, while Lexie disembarked, Kaden on her heels. They were greeted by a wall of armed guards, weapons drawn and ready.
“Where’s Milanni?” A man stepped out from behind the guards, hands clasped behind his back. Like all battle born soldiers, he was tall and muscular, but there was nothing about his appearance that was unique or unusual.
“Are you Fyran?” Lexie tossed back her hair then walked toward him, hips swaying.
“I don’t know you.” He sounded dismissive. “How did you get Milanni’s ship?”
“She helped me steal it right out from under the noses of the battle born. It’s amazing all she’s accomplished while locked in a detention cell.”
His gaze took an insolent tour of Lexie’s body. Kaden moved closer, hand on the handle of his blaster.
I’m your employer, not your mate.
The telepathic reminder did little to soothe his protective anger.
“My deal is with Milanni, not some lackey.”
“Fine by me.” Lexie shrugged. “I can easily find another buyer for this.” She raised her arm, displaying the locked case dangling from her fist.
“You have the formula?” Fyran didn’t sound convinced.
“Why do you think I’m here?” She let a hint of impatience cre
ep into her silky tone.
“Who are you and how did you end up with the formula?” His gaze kept dipping toward her breasts and Kaden wanted to pound him into the deck.
Lexie, however, acted as if she didn’t notice his rude behavior. “I worked for Milanni in a variety of positions for a number of years.”
He moved closer, one menacing step at a time. “Will you show me some of those positions once we’ve finished this discussion?” Lust rapidly eroded his suspicion. Maybe Indigo had a point. Most men were easily controlled by a fabulous pair of breasts. And Lexie’s certainly qualified. Fyran tilted his head, inhaled, then grimaced and shook it. “You reek of your bodyguard.”
She shrugged again, unaffected by the accusation in his sharp tone. “He amuses me from time to time. I’m not good at boredom and it took longer to get here than I expected.”
Even knowing she was playing a part, the insult sent a growl echoing through his mind.
“Well, you’ll have to shower before I’ll touch you.” Fyran shuddered, his interest cooling somewhat. Good.
“As entertaining as a good romp with you sounds, that’s not why I’m here,” she reminded. “You promised Milanni you would make no attempt to find her or harm her in any way if she brought you the formula. I have the formula, so we expect you to honor your side of the bargain.”
“If that formula is genuine, I have no further interest in Milanni.”
“Then have someone verify it, so I can be on my way.” She raised her chin another notch, her expression bordering on arrogance.
“You’re free to leave whenever you like.” A sly smile bowed his lips as he added, “But Milanni’s ship is mine.”
“That was not the deal,” she snapped. “You said nothing about—”
A shrill alarm cut off her objection and lights all around them began to strobe. “Battle stations! This is not a drill. Commander to the bridge!”
Apparently, Zilor had arrived on scene. Hopefully they’d bought him enough time to take out the jump drive.
Fyran screamed, “Seize them!” Then turned and ran from the bay.
All pretense dropped. Kaden drew his blaster and lunged in front of Lexie. She muttered a protest and drew a small blaster from inside one of her boots. He took several shots, then dove for cover. She was right behind him, shooting over his shoulder until their position was more secure.
“Focus on the right. I’ll take left,” he shouted over the den of shots and urgent commands coming from the guards.
Keeping Lexie in his peripheral vision, he quickly took out two guards then aimed for their apparent leader. A pulse zipped by, precariously close to Kaden’s face. Lightning-fast reflexes saved his cheek from a nasty scar and he returned fire without hesitation. The leader screamed as the plasma ball spread through his chest, having found an already weakened spot in his armor.
Kaden turned toward the one remaining guard at the same time as Lexie. They fired together, but her shot went high. She was tired and the recoil jerked her hands, still she’d done incredibly well for a civilian. He looked at her and smiled, undeniably proud of his mate. “Excellent job, soldier. Now let’s go find your sister.”
Chapter Ten
Lexie’s heart was pounding so hard, she barely heard Kaden’s words. She’d taken classes and learned how to safely handle a gun then spent countless hours at various gun ranges so she’d feel comfortable with her Sig Sauer P938. She’d had to pull it twice during investigations, but today was the first time she’d ever fired a weapon knowing she’d inflict bodily harm. Adrenaline was making her jittery, so she was glad when Kaden took her hand and rushed her from the landing bay.
They were on their way to find Libby. And still none of it felt real.
He led her down one corridor, then shoved her into a doorway as a small group of crewmen ran past in the hallway just ahead. He whispered something she couldn’t quite hear, then told her, “The jump drive is disabled. Zilor’s on his way.”
She nodded, too dazed to speak. She’d just shot people, living, breathing men, some of whom might now be dead. Her heart ached and bile rose to the back of her throat. She could not fall apart now! They still had to find Libby.
“You okay?”
After taking a deep breath, she nodded again. “I’m fine. Are we waiting for Zilor?”
“No.” Kaden touched her shoulder with one gloved hand. “I’m making sure you don’t pass out.”
“I’m good now. Go on. I’ll follow.”
He didn’t seem convinced, but darted out into the corridor and she rushed after him.
They met up with Zilor at the next intersection. “Scanners say the females are in one of the cargo bays. This way.”
Zilor ran on ahead, so Kaden took up a place behind her, protecting her as they ran.
Suddenly an impact rocked the ship. Her gaze flew to Kaden and he said, “The fighting’s starting. We need to hurry.”
The report of some massive weapon echoed through the ship. Lexie gasped and instinctively covered her head with both arms. The men barely reacted, so she ignored her need to hide and kept on running.
Zilor used some sort of master code that opened every door they came to, and Lexie’s curiosity pushed through her fear. “Where did he get that code?”
“Garin.” Kaden told her in a harsh whisper.
“Why didn’t Fyran change the access code? That seems pretty sloppy?”
“It takes administrator level access to change a master code.” Zilor explained as he hurried them toward the cargo area. “Only generals have admin level access.”
The first bay was empty.
“There are three more.” Not waiting for conversation, Zilor hurried toward the next opening. The large doors parted, revealing a mostly empty room. Temporary partitions had been erected, creating a large center aisle.
“Hello?” Lexie called out. “We’re searching for captives? Does anyone in here need help?”
A terrified female stepped into the first opening on the right. “Who are you?”
“We’re here to take you off this ship,” Zilor said calmly.
The other captives gradually joined the first, filling the opening with pathetic-looking females.
Lexie moved past the men and stuck her blaster back in her boot. “This is a rescue. I promise. Milanni sent us.”
“I told you she wouldn’t forget about us,” someone near the back of the huddled mass said.
“We’ll stream you out, but you need to separate into groups of two or three,” Kaden told them.
Lexie franticly searched the haggard faces for any sign of Libby. “Wait. Was there a woman named Libby with you? She would have arrived about twelve days ago.”
Another blast rocked the ship and someone screamed. The overhead lights flickered and Lexie’s chest grew so tight she could barely breathe.
“We’ve all been here longer than that,” the apparent leader told Lexie once the commotion settled down.
“What about,” she hesitated over how to say it without sounding uncaring. “Fyran’s latest victim?”
“That would be Loren.” The leader pointed toward the tall blonde on her right. “This is all of us. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Hearing the resentment in the poor woman’s tone. Lexie gave herself a mental shake. “Let’s get them out of here,” she said to Kaden, and he and Zilor went to work. They positioned the captives in small groups and each was bio-streamed to one of the fighters. Lexie wasn’t sure if it was wise to separate them at this point, but it seemed to be the fastest, therefore, safest course.
By the time they finished the evacuation, the volleying blasts had slowed to an occasional rumble. Apparently one ship, regardless of how well equipped, wasn’t a match for six aggressive fighters.
“Now you two,” Zilor urged and Lexie’s blood ran cold.
“We need to search the ship,” she insisted. “They might have stashed her—”
“You’re the only female left on board. We just con
firmed it with multiple scans.” The pity in Kaden’s gaze shattered her composure.
“No.” Grief and frustration inundated Lexie’s soul. Libby wasn’t here. How could this have happened? She’d been so sure they’d find her.
Kaden took her hand and pulled her closer to his side. “We will find her, love. I promise.”
The bio-stream engine engaged and swallowed her objection. He’d promised that they’d find her aboard the Relentless. She was sobbing by the time they rematerialized aboard Milanni’s ship and Kaden pulled her into his arms.
“I was so sure she’d be there.” She buried her face against his chest and stopped fighting back the anguish.
He swept her up into his arms like a child then sat down with her cradled against his chest. She sobbed and sobbed, angry and filled with sorrow. For the first time since the abduction, she considered the possibility that Libby might not be alive. They might be searching for a body, not a vibrant, inquisitive angel with an infectious smile.
“I don’t know what to do,” she lamented. “I don’t know how to find her.”
His arms tightened around her as a blast of acceleration drove the breath from her lungs. Interspatial jumps were fast, but shocking, if one wasn’t ready for them.
“Sorry, love.” His hold on her eased as the pressure returned to normal. “Fyran was threatening to blow the ship. We couldn’t risk it.”
She raised her head and looked around. Earth was a small blue glow on the main view screen and the moon wasn’t yet visible. “Will they be able to stop him? I know Garin wants the Relentless in one piece.”
“Easily,” Kaden assured her. “They’ll just bio-stream Fyran to one of the fighters. It will make it that much easier to deal with the crew.”
“Did Zilor get off before the real fighting started?”
Both of her companions laughed, but Kaden explained their reaction. “Zilor loves a good fight. It would have taken a squadron, or two, to drag him off the Relentless. It was his job to take control and fly it back to Lunar Nine.”
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