by Tess Mallory
Eagle stood staring up at the stars, his dark hair looking strangely silver in the muted light of the room and the reflection of the glass. She could see a tiny muscle twitching in his jaw. His hands hung at his sides, opening and closing reflexively. His broad shoulders, usually held at careful attention, were slightly bowed and as she watched, he lifted his hands and pressed them flat against the curved window, then leaned his head against the glass too. "Eagle," she whispered, afraid to move forward for fear he would bolt like a trapped animal.
He spun around, his gaze registering no surprise at her presence, no pleasure either. His hair was disheveled as though he'd been tearing at it with his hands, and his clothing was rumpled, his face haggard, drawn, and pale. He never said a word, but his eyes spoke to her. Green as emeralds, but for once not as hard, his eyes were filled with pain and fear. Sky swallowed hard, realizing how much she had begun to count on Eagle's courage. Eagle wasn't afraid of anything. He couldn't be. His gaze flickered and became hollow, empty. He continued to stare at her for a brief moment, then turned away, back to the stars.
She forced herself to walk toward him, one small step at a time, her voice soothing. "Telles told me. I'm here to help."
"There is no help," he murmured to the window. "Yes, I can help you, Eagle, if you'll let me."
He turned on her, faint lines that hadn't been there before trailing across his forehead and around his lips. "Why? Why do you want to help me? Do you think your sister's whereabouts lie dormant in my brain?" He gestured to his head. "Here. Come on in, look around." She didn't respond and he turned away, shoving his hands down into his jacket pockets. "Well, don't say I didn't offer."
"I want to help you, Eagle," she repeated. "I know what Telles told you must have been a shock."
He laughed shortly. "You didn't really believe him, did you? How could you of all people fall for such a story?"
"Why would Telles say it if it weren't true?"
"A hundred reasons—no, just one. A plot to make me think I'm an Andromedan so I'll help him save his sweet little goddess."
She took a step toward him, wondering if he could hear the pounding of her heart. To her it seemed to vibrate around the room. "Denying the truth won't make it go away."
"It isn't the truth."
"Let me inside your mind and I'll help you know for certain whether or not it's the truth." She was watching his reflection in the window but was still unprepared when he spun around and grabbed her by the arm, drawing her close.
"How? By taking your word for it? How do I know you won't go in and plant your own thoughts, your own commands for that matter? How do I know I won't be turned into some kind of mind-slave? I've heard about the Cezans and the power they wielded over the Andromedans."
"It isn't true. Please, Eagle, let me help." Sky hated the quiver she heard in her voice, hated the way her blood heated at the merest touch from this man, hated that at that moment more than she wanted to help him, she wanted him to kiss her, to touch her, to make love to her.
"Please, Eagle," he mimicked. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. What's wrong, Princess, feeling sorry for me?" He pushed her roughly away from him and Sky fell back against the wall. "Well don't, because it isn't true. I'm Zarn's son. I'm a Rigelian. Nothing can ever change that."
"And you can't change the truth. Let me inside your mind and I promise I'll tell you the truth."
"Why?" He turned away and stared out through the window. "Why should you? I'm the enemy, Sky. Never forget that."
Sky moved up behind him and quite without meaning to, she slid her arms around his waist, bringing her body in direct contact with his back. She heard the quick intake of breath, felt the muscles in his back stiffen, then he slowly turned to face her.
"Are you?" she whispered, her hands moving to his chest. "Are you my enemy?"
Suddenly their reason for being there faded, their conflicts disappeared. Suddenly there was only Eagle and Sky, together in the darkness, beneath a velvet sky filled with stars. She lifted her hand to touch the side of his face and her fingers met the stubble of two days growth of beard. The roughness of it sent a thrill down her spine. Eagle's hand closed around hers and he brought it to his lips. Sky leaned toward him as his mouth closed around her fingertips, one at a time, his tongue touching her skin with a heat that sent a warm rush of yearning through her soul.
A faint covering of dark hair curled at the V of the uniform he wore, and her hands came up between them, her fingers moving across his chest in a caressing motion. She could feel his heartbeat quicken even as his breathing began to come more rapidly. She could feel the fire between them. His head bent closer to hers and Sky lifted her lips to his—almost. Their breath intermingled, but just before their lips touched, he pulled back and turned away.
Sky shuddered as he withdrew from her, the loss leaving her feeling strangely cold and bereft. His rejection—once again—lit an angry fire in the pit of her stomach, and she lifted her chin as she glared at him.
"Is this some kind of game you play, Colonel? See if you can get the stupid woman to desire you, then reject her? Well, it worked again. Yes, I want you, Colonel, just as you want me. You can deny it all you want, but the truth is there between us and you know it."
She flung the words down like a gauntlet and waited to see if he would pick up the challenge. He stood with his back to her for a long moment. Slowly he turned around. The naked need she saw in his eyes shocked her, and when he took a step toward her, Sky unconsciously took one back.
"Do you want me, Sky? But who am I? The son of Zarn? The son of a Seeker? A man without a name?"
He lifted one hand to her face and moved it upward, tangling his fingers into her hair, stopping when they encountered the silver band around her forehead. His thumbs made lazy circles over her skin, her lips, her chin.
"Whoever you are," she said. "I want whoever you are."
"I don't know who I am," he whispered, moving his lips close to hers.
She started to speak but the words died in her throat as his mouth descended over hers, staking a fiery, claim that burned his soul into hers. Cradling her face in his hands, Eagle ravaged her mouth, caressed her mouth, teased and cajoled each lip, then moved to the soft skin at her, throat. One hand moved to the small of her back, and gently he pressed her against him, letting her feel the long, hard length of him through his clothing, letting her know his need.
Sky groaned aloud and her hands moved around his waist, clutching his back as he plundered her mouth, her throat, the edge of her collarbone; his mouth dipped lower and found the shadow between her breasts. He found the fastenings in the back of her suit and tugged, forcing the garment from her shoulders and down to the floor, leaving her naked. He stepped back to gaze at her and Sky found herself blushing uncharacteristically. She started to cover herself with her hands, but he caught her wrists and gently moved them apart.
"Let me look at you," he whispered. "After all, I'm no one. I may not even exist. A man without a name can't hurt you."
"I know your name," she said, her voice hushed. She moved toward him and his arms went around her, drawing her close to him. His head lowered to hers again, and she shuddered as his lips brushed against the side of her neck.
"No, no names tonight," he said softly. "Not here. Not now."
His hands moved to barely graze her skin, first down her back, then up her sides, over her breasts. His fingers traced a path that his lips quickly followed and red-hot coals ignited inside her as his mouth painted promises, hot, burning promises she could not resist. He teased and tormented her until Sky sank down to the floor, unable to stand any longer, bringing him with her. She was suddenly reminded of another time they had melted together in passion. This time he would not roll away and leave her wanting. This time Eagle and Sky would fly together. Laughing aloud, she pulled at the fastenings of his uniform and soon his clothing joined hers, flung to the far side of the room.
His hot flesh met hers, and she cried out in wo
nder. They joined in one smooth movement and Sky felt the world explode around her. Then she was melting, she was dying, she was soaring above the clouds, reaching upward even as Eagle's flesh seared into hers; she arched against him, seeking the journey, feeling her soul stretch out, her mind soar beyond the sky. But she wanted more. She wanted to job with his thoughts again and let him join with hers. She wanted to stop him, wanted to tell him that she didn't want just his body, she wanted all of him—the Eagle he was in his innermost thoughts and being, the anguished child she had glimpsed, the man who had no name. Yes, she wanted to take him inside her body, but also inside her soul. She tried to speak but couldn't. She tried to push him away but found herself drawing him closer still. As the stars crashed down around her and within her, spiraling her upward to meet them, at the last moment Sky pulled her emotions back, unwilling to touch the bright ecstasy they offered. Eagle froze, as though he sensed her silent withdrawal.
"Sky?" he whispered, his mouth against her hair.
"I desire more than just your body," she said, her voice hushed with a hurt she had not even realized existed. She wove her fingers through his midnight hair and turned his face to hers, gazing deeply into his troubled eyes. "Will you ever let me truly join with you—with your mind? Will you ever trust me?"
"Just let me make love to you," he said, smoothing her hair back from her face, his touch gentle, loving. "Maybe what you and Telles have told me is true. If it is, I've been living a lie for fifteen years, and I have no name, no past, no soul. But right now, here with you, I don't need a name. Let me possess you, Sky, though I can't let you possess me. Not yet. Maybe never."
His mouth moved over hers and she was lost. The crescendo came all at once for both of them, and the stars, the bright stars exploded inside her, fragmented into her heart, pulsated through her soul, and sent her straight into the heavens. As they glided back to reality together in each other's arms, Sky looked up at the thousand twinkling lights glimmering through the curved glass above them. One tear traced its way down her cheek before she closed her eyes against the distant suns.
Chapter Ten
Eagle donned his uniform and crossed to stand beneath the stars while Sky dressed. There had been no lengthy holding or caressing afterward, yet it hadn't seemed awkward either. He didn't think she had wanted to prolong the aftermath of their ecstasy any more than he had dared. It was too painful. Ecstasy. He grimaced at the window. Oh, he felt sure Sky had enjoyed their lovemaking, but there had been another level, a higher plateau he knew they would never know—the intertwining of their minds. He couldn't help it. He wasn't ready yet to hear the truth and if he let Sky into his mind, he knew it would be forthcoming. The truth.
He spun around in time to catch the vulnerable look on Sky's face as she fastened the last closure on her uniform and rose from their impromptu bed. She masked her features quickly when she realized he was watching her, drawing herself up with the same quiet dignity he remembered from other occasions when she felt herself outmatched or outgunned. She walked silently to the door of the observation room and pressed the control to slide it open. She took a step back as though startled.
"Telles. How did you—Come in."
Eagle rested his hands on his hips as his friend walked in and gave first him the once-over and then Sky. He had no doubt the man's trained eye had taken in every rumpled edge of clothing and every tousled hair on both their heads. He didn't expect the disapproval however, or the disgusted way Telles shook his head and cursed.
"Hell, Eagle, don't you have a clue as to what's going on? She comes up here to help you find out who you really are, and you—"
"Shut up." Anger, sudden and swift, crowded Eagle's mind. He took a step toward him, fists clenched at his sides. "You don't know what you're talking about, so just shut the hell up."
Telles turned to Sky. "Are you ready to help me now, Sky? And help your sister? You do still want to know where she is, don't you, or has the colonel here knocked that little thought out of your head while he was—"
With a roar, Eagle swung, his fist connecting with Telles's jaw. The two men fell to the floor and rolled, feet flailing, arms swinging. "Stop it, both of you!" Sky shouted. "This is ridiculous!"
Telles pulled Eagle to his feet with both hands and slammed him against the bulkhead. "You heard the lady," he said, breathing heavily, keeping Eagle's shoulders pinned back.
"She's a captain, not a lady." Eagle spat out the words, then slammed his fist into his stomach. Telles doubled over with a gasp and fell to his knees, arms across his middle. The sound of his breathing was labored as he glared up at Eagle.
"She's more of a lady than you'll ever deserve," Telles said through clenched teeth, unable to stand. "Had enough, Colonel?"
"Yeah, I've had enough," Eagle said. "I've had enough of these games you're playing. This is just some new ploy by you rebels to trick me into opposing my father."
Telles shook his head, his face reflecting his obvious disgust. "You really don't trust anyone, do you?" He shot Sky a look. "Remember that, sweetness, when you're falling into his arms."
"Why don't you both just shut up?" Sky said. "Look, I don't give a pefarking damn about trust or tricks or anything. All I care about is finding my sister!"
"Then come on. Leave Eagle to his brooding. There's only one way to find out where Mayla is." Telles pulled her toward the doorway.
Eagle's head snapped up. "You're going to read his mind?"
"Yes. Apparently it's my only chance of finding my sister," she said. He nodded. "That's good. You should do it then." Sky bristled. "Well, I don't need your permission, Colonel. Come on, Telles."
Eagle wasn't just angry, he was livid. Why the news she was going to journey inside Telles's mind should send a shimmering wave of outrage through his veins he didn't know, but it danced down his spine and into his fingertips. He knew what an intimate joining it could be, to venture inside someone's mind. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one little bit. But he didn't have any right to say a thing, not even after what they'd just shared. Because he'd just been a world-class jerk—again. The knowledge made him lash out.
"Oh, and of course whatever you come back and tell me you've found in his head I should believe. Just like I should believe that I'm not Zarn's son because he says it's true. Give me a break."
He saw the effect of his words register on her features. Her lower lip trembled the slightest bit; her turquoise eyes flashed, first with pain, then with fire.
"What are you talking about?" she said.
"We have to trust what you say. That's the bottom line in this, isn't it?"
Telles stopped and turned back, one hand moving to rest protectively on her shoulder.
Eagle watched her as she swallowed, hard, before speaking. He hated himself for hurting her. He hated her for making him care.
"Yes, I see what you mean. If you don't trust me, what difference does it make what I tell you I have seen in your minds?"
"Exactly."
Their gazes locked for a space of time that seemed an eternity to Eagle. She broke the contest first, turning away, her back to him, her body trembling. He released his pent-up breath silently when she suddenly spun around, hands on her hips, turquoise eyes filled with fire.
"Don't worry, Colonel. I wouldn't touch your mind with a ten-foot pole, but before Telles and I leave you to grovel in your self-pity, I have a few things I want to say to you."
She turned to Telles, her fury obvious from the top of her head with its mane of sexy tousled hair, to the tips of her still-naked toes. She hadn't managed to get her boots on before Telles interrupted them.
"You should listen to your old friend, Telles. You will have to trust me—have to trust that I'm not pulling some kind of trick in your mind, putting in the very things I'm going to tell you I find. You're making yourself vulnerable, so be warned. But that's something Eagle will never have to worry about, because he'll never open himself to another human being—not his mind, not his sou
l. Zarn took that ability from him when he took his memories—if in fact he did take them at all. I guess we'll never know the answer to that." She broke off, took two steps forward, and shoved Eagle backward, hard. He slammed against the bulkhead, wishing he was back on Alpha Centauri, or on Station One, or anywhere else but facing Sky's wrath. He deserved it. He deserved more. And yet he couldn't stand any more.
"Sky, don't do this," he said.
"You see, Telles," she went on, thrusting her finger against Eagle's chest, "Zarn took more than his memories, he took his soul too. Isn't that right, Colonel? Didn't you lose your ability to trust, to believe, to feel?" She wanted to strike him, he could tell. She knotted up her fist and Eagle hoped she would hit him—anything to relieve the guilt settling in his heart. But she lowered her hand, her voice pitying. "People like him can't trust anyone else," she said softly. "They don't have the guts."
She spun away from him, but not quickly enough to hide her tears. "Take me out of here, Telles," she said. "Let's get down to business." Telles gathered her into his arms and gave her a tight, hard squeeze. "Sure, angel." He glanced over at Eagle, his blue eyes narrowing to slits. "We'll let you know what we find out, Colonel. That is, if you're interested."
"Sure." One corner of Eagle's mouth curved up derisively. Make her hate you, something inside of him said. Make her hate you and then you won't have to let her in. "And let me know if she whispers your name too when she's writhing underneath you. Nice touch. Makes you feel almost like you're something special."