Beyond Galaxy's Edge

by Anna Hackett

  She clamped down on his cock again and with his next breath, he was coming, pouring his release down her throat. A groan ripped from him, dark spots dancing in front of his eyes. He’d never come so hard, never felt like this about another woman.

  She dropped down beside him, spent. Justyn found the energy to push himself up and pull her into his arms. He pulled her against his chest, gratified when her arms wrapped around him, her face buried against his neck.

  Nissa was in his arms. Her heart beating against his, her toned body still shaking from the orgasm he’d given her. He smiled at the ceiling. In this instant, everything was right in the galaxy.

  “When we get to Hydrae—” her voice was a quiet mumble against his skin “—I’m locking you in a bedroom and not letting you out for hours. Many, many hours.”

  He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Captain Smooth, you aren’t getting a single complaint from me.”

  “I’m glad we didn’t die down there on that jungle planet.”

  His hand skimmed up her long neck. “Right now, I’ve gone well past glad and right into ecstatic.”

  She gave a small laugh, then she bolted upright. “Shit. If that clock beside your bunk is right, we have four minutes to be on the bridge.”

  Justyn cursed. “How fast can you get dressed?”

  Her gaze skimmed down his naked body. “Not fast enough if you’re naked and in the same room.”

  He gave her fine ass a gentle slap. “Go. Get dressed, my Thusian temptress. I’ll see you on the bridge.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  After a lightning-fast shower, Justyn grabbed a piece of fruit from the galley and strode onto the bridge of the Pathfinder with about twenty seconds to spare.

  Rynan eyed him in a way that said he didn’t miss the sated look on Justyn’s face. Justyn didn’t care. He felt too damned good right now to care about anything.

  Dare was in his usual position, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Nice to see you in one piece.”

  Justyn started to peel the hydroponic mandarin he’d nabbed. “Nice to be in one piece.” He popped a sliver of the juicy fruit in his mouth and savored the tart taste. Much better than nutribars. Not as good as the taste of Nissa. “Surprised to see you left the convoy, bro.”

  “We’d already made it to Hydrae. And I left Aurina in charge.”

  Aurina had a streak of bossy in her and Justyn had no doubt his sister would keep the convoy members in line. “I’m sure glad you picked up the e-beacon signal.”

  Ry nodded. “We were already looking for you. When the Nomad arrived at the caravanserai and there’d been no sign of your guys, we figured something was up. That’s when we ran into the Firebrands.”

  Nissa strode in wearing fresh clothes. “What’d I miss?”

  “We’re just about to get started.” Justyn grabbed her and tugged her down into the seat beside his. He ignored his brothers’ smiles.

  “So what the hell happened?” Dare asked.

  Between the two of them, Justyn and Nissa told the story of the attack, the crash landing and their adventures on the jungle planet.

  “Carnivorous plants.” Rynan gave a small scowl of distaste.

  Nissa took a deep breath. “There’s something else…I’ve been reporting back to the GSS. I suspect the mole’s been hacking my transmissions.”

  Justyn watched his brothers. Their faces were unreadable.

  She hurried on to fill the silence. “I’m sorry. I never meant to endanger you, your ship, or the convoy.”

  Justyn shot his brothers a look. “A bitch of an admiral blackmailed her into it.”

  “I take it you won’t be making any more reports?” Dare’s voice was smooth but held the whip of command.

  Nissa shifted. “No.”

  “Good.” Rynan swiveled back to his computer. “I’ve been running checks on all the passengers to search for the mole. No flags, yet. Obviously getting information out here takes a bit more time, but so far they’re clean.”

  “And the crew?” Justyn asked.

  Rynan gave an unhappy nod. “I’m checking them, too. I don’t want to believe it, but I’m searching for any changes in their routines, their bank accounts, or transmissions.”

  “We need to all stay alert.” Dare pushed away from the wall. “Trust no one but the four of us in here with anything to do about the Constitution.”

  They all nodded.

  Nissa perked up. “Oh, I forgot to mention. We found a book on the planet.”

  “A book?” Rynan frowned.

  Justyn leaned forward. “It was in the wreck of an escape pod…from the Nero.”

  Dare’s brows rose and Rynan whistled.

  “I need to authenticate it and it’ll have to be treated to preserve the pages,” Nissa said.

  “We have everything you need in the science lab,” Rynan said. “One level down.”

  “Thanks.”

  Justyn got to his feet. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were settled in the lab, Nissa bent over the enclosed synth-glass case. The leather-bound book sat inside, open, its delicate pages on display. It was being sprayed with a mist of plas-coating.

  She tapped her fingers against the bench. “You think the book might tell has what happened to the Nero? Or any clue to where the Constitution might be?”

  Justyn was watching her, not the machine. “We’ll know soon enough.”

  The machine beeped and the glass door opened. She looked at him, drew in a deep breath, then reached for the book.

  “Okay, let’s see what we have.” She set it on the workbench and turned to the first page. “Diary of Anderson Chan, Science Officer of the Nero.” She blinked. “A diary!”

  He smiled at her. “Did you run the dating tests?”

  A nod. “A thousand years old. It dates to the time of the Nero.”

  Justyn savored a shot of excitement. “Then it’s the real deal. We can’t tell a soul.”

  “Of course not.” She stroked the paper page. “It’s so beautiful.”

  He thought old paper was no match for her skin. “It’ll take some time to read it.” He squinted at the handwriting. “Man, it’s damn hard to read handwriting. Can’t believe anyone thought writing with ink was a good idea.”

  Nissa turned the page and read the words scrawled there. “I bought this diary to record every moment of my first deep-space voyage. I am excited and scared all rolled together. I’ve of course logged my hours on in-system trips, and spent several months on Jupiter Station. But now I’ll be headed far beyond the Milky Way, traveling on the Nero under Captain Griffin. Our route is a secret, our cargo beyond precious, and me, Anderson Chan, is getting to be a part of history.” She gave Justyn a sad smile. “He was so excited. Completely unaware he’d die alone on a jungle world beyond the galaxy’s edge.”

  Justyn gripped her shoulder. “Always knew there was marshmallow under your smooth skin. He was right though, he did become a part of history. We’ll make sure he’s remembered.”

  She nodded. “You’re a bit marshmallow too, Phoenix.”

  “Shh, don’t tell anyone.” He flicked her earlobe. “You’ll ruin my hard-earned reputation as a rogue smuggler. I mean, alleged rogue smuggler.”

  As she rolled her eyes, the comms panel beside the door chimed. Justyn strolled over.

  “Go ahead.”

  Rynan’s voice came through the speaker. “Coming up on Hydrae, Justyn.”

  “Got it. Thanks.” He looked at Nissa. “You keep reading. I’m going to help Ry bring the ship in at Meni.” He checked his timepiece. “It’ll be dinnertime by the time we get dirtside.”

  “Okay.”

  “The caravanserai usually puts on a good show for new arrivals. Bonfire, feast, music, dancing.”

  She tilted her head, a soft smile on her wide mouth. “You asking me out on a date, Justyn?”

  He moved fas
t, sweeping her into his chest. He saw delighted shock skitter over her stunning features. God, he loved the feel of her. “I’m asking if you’ll let me feed you before I fuck your brains out.”

  Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. Justyn swallowed a groan.

  “Well—” her voice was a little breathy “—with an offer like that—”

  He nipped her bottom lip, but forced himself to keep at that. Or else he’d be fucking her on the workbench behind them. Or the hard floor. He wanted a soft bed and he wanted to stay there all night. “Let me feed you—” another nip of her lips “—because you’ll need the energy, Sander.”

  She nipped him back. “Ditto, Phoenix.”

  ***

  Nissa carefully placed the diary in the wall safe in the Sky Nomad’s science lab and shut the door. As she coded in the lock, she shook off the sense of despair that had settled over her.

  She’d finished reading Anderson’s diary.

  It didn’t tell her the location of the wreckage of the Nero or the US Constitution.

  The man’s excitement had leaped off the pages. It had slowly settled down as the monotony of ship life had rubbed the unbridled enthusiasm away. And he’d stopped writing in his diary every day, eventually using it just to note interesting stops and events. But he’d never lost the underlying thirst for adventure that had prompted him to join the Nero. He’d loved every second of being on the ship. Nissa envied him that joy.

  He’d also fallen in love. Tumbled headlong in love with a woman named Claudia, the Nero’s comms specialist.

  At least Nissa had confirmed the Nero had followed the path she and Justyn had guessed, almost exactly.

  Young Anderson had been in awe of the cargo they’d carried.

  I got to see the Constitution today! The Captain allowed a select few on the science team to examine it and ensure its plas-coating was still protecting it. It’s so amazing to think about what this document represents. It was the foundation of a nation and now will be the cornerstone of the galaxy’s new laws. And little ol’ me, from New Hong Kong, is playing a part in the story.

  She headed out of the science lab and up to her cabin. The corridors were all empty. After the Pathfinder had landed on Hydrae, they’d transferred to the Sky Nomad and not long after that, everyone had headed off for the feast.

  Nissa had wanted to finish reading the diary and promised Justyn she’d find him. Once she’d started Anderson’s tale, she’d been compelled to follow it through to the end. The tragic end that had been written in a hurried panic. It had taken her some time to decipher the uneven scrawl written in half sentences: Nero under attack. We’ve tipped on our side. Crewmen dead and dying. I can’t find Claudia. Enviro systems failing. Out the window I can see green gases and a space monster devouring the ship. Leaving in an escape pod.

  She shook her head. He’d obviously been panicked, and probably suffering oxygen deprivation from failing enviro. Crazy tales of space monsters abounded in the records of early space explorers. A way to explain the strange things they often saw that had no explanation a thousand years ago.

  In her years as a captain, Nissa had seen strange-shaped nebulas, molecular clouds and accumulations of interstellar dust, but she’d never seen a space monster.

  Anderson’s last heart-wrenching entry had been days after the attack. His pod had drifted for so long he’d lost track of time. No one had found him and he’d eaten all his emergency rations. He’d been starving, afraid and alone. He said he was going to try and land on the planet he’d seen on his sensors. A habitable Super-Earth.

  She released a long breath. She needed a break. Better yet, she needed to seduce a certain alleged smuggler. She ruffled through her bag and pulled on her favorite skinny black trousers and heeled boots, but all she had to wear with it were plain T-shirts. Three years on the edge of the galaxy had left her wardrobe sadly lacking.

  After a quick trip to the goods printer, she was wearing a black halter top covered in small silver dangles. The string did up at the back of the neck and left her back bare. Justyn really seemed to love her skin, including the reptilian scale pattern across her lower back, so she wanted to show it off.

  Nissa exited the ship and paused for a second to drink in the view. Hydrae was mostly desert in the southern hemisphere. The sun had almost finished setting, painting the horizon a brilliant golden-orange. Dual moons hung in the sky, casting a glow over the undulating dunes of the palest sand intermixed with tall, twisted rock formations. She imagined the planet’s children playing games to pick what each formation looked like. A soldier standing tall and straight, weapon held high. A woman dancing in a wild twirl of skirts. A tree, with its branches long and twisted.

  A crushed-gravel path led from the landing pads toward the two-story, U-shaped building that made up the main part of the caravanserai. The complex was nestled in a sprawling oasis with a small, placid lake in the center. Slim, rough-barked trees speared into the sky and father away from the landing pads and the main building, she noted smaller domed buildings dotted amongst the trees. Private cottages for those who had money to spare for the extra privacy and ambiance. Lights from the village of Meni twinkled across the lake.

  As she neared the main building, the noise of a party in progress filled the air—laughter, chatter, the strum of some stringed instrument, the snap and crackle of burning wood. Actual burning wood! Not something she saw very often.

  She rounded the corner and paused. The convoy members seemed very happy to enjoy the hospitality of the Hydraens. She easily picked out the hosts—slim, blue-skinned humanoids with elongated, hairless heads. They smiled unceasingly, many of them carrying platters covered in delicious-smelling food around for people to sample.

  Masculine laughter she knew belonged to Justyn came from nearby. The sound shivered through her.

  She stayed in the shadows, content to watch for now. Two young Hydraen children, maybe around seven or eight, were pestering Justyn, tugging at his shirt. He was teasing them, making something—chocolate treats, she suspected—appear from behind their ears. His tricks sent the two boys into fits of laughter.

  She couldn’t drag her gaze off him. The golden firelight washed over him, making him seem sexier than ever. Mine. All her life, she’d been driven to excel in her career. Follow the rules, be the best she could be, keep her eye on the next promotion. She thought that was what she wanted.

  But looking at Justyn Phoenix, she really understood what those wants and needs were.

  Now, here on this little-known planet in uncharted space, she wanted this man.

  Music cut through the night. She pulled her gaze away and saw a small group of Hydraens seated on a bright-red blanket, playing an assortment of instruments. The hard beat of the drum blended with the thrum of strings and some sort of pipe. It was happy, cheerful, optimistic.

  A Hydraen woman in bright skirts of blue and green appeared beside Justyn. She shooed the small boys away and said something to Justyn, making him laugh again. The way she spoke with him, placing a hand on his arm, tilting her head…it spoke of intimacy, friendship.

  Nissa frowned. They knew each other. Well.

  “Any luck with the diary?”

  Rynan appeared out of the shadows, making Nissa start. “Oh, hey. I finished reading it. Nothing concrete. He talks about green gases and—” she grimaced “—space monsters.”

  Rynan’s expression mirrored her own. He handed her some delicacy wrapped in a green leaf.

  She took it from him and nibbled the edges. It tasted delicious.

  “Well, I’ve arranged for you and Justyn to meet with the local Memory Keeper tomorrow. If anyone knows anything about the Nero stopping here, it’ll be him.” His gaze drifted past her to the fire. “Do you dance?”

  She gave a small laugh. “Not well. You?”

  “Nope. Never.”

  She laughed again. Rynan didn’t seem like the dancing type. But as she noted his gaze followin
g someone with dark intensity, she casually turned to look.

  A small group of convoy members and crew had cleared an area in front of the bonfire to dance. She recognized the two female colonists from the Nomad, twisting and shaking to the music. No, he wasn’t watching them.

  Ah, three of his security team were with Aurina. Two men and a woman. The men had muscled builds that screamed “ex-military” and the woman was tiny, with a mass of dark curls. She danced along with one the men, laughing hard as she did, then she spun away. The other man grabbed her hand and spun her around in some intricate dance steps. Then she and Aurina bumped hips, the woman’s rich, full-bodied laughter reaching all the way to the shadows.

  “Some of your team?” Nissa asked.

  Rynan made a murmur of assent. “They like to blow off steam when they can.” Then a smile tugged on his lips. “Here we go. Justyn’s about to liven up the dance floor. No idea where the guy got his moves.”

  Nissa spun…and saw the woman in the blue skirts was now dragging a feigning-reluctance Justyn onto the impromptu dance floor.

  The two of them danced, not particularly closely, but they were smiling as they did. Their bodies brushed here and there as the jaunty music filled the air.

  There it was again. That closeness, that intimacy.

  An intimacy that was hers, damn it.

  Nissa looked at Rynan. “Sure you don’t want to join your team for a dance?”

  “I’m sure. Think I’ll check in with our convoy members.”

  And possibly the curvy blonde from one of the convoy ships who’d been watching him the entire time. Nissa saw Dare reclined on a blanket with two women beside him and the colonist from the ship shooting him hot glances every time she whirled past.

  The Phoenix men were like black holes for women, drawing them in.

  Well, Nissa damn well wasn’t going to flit around waiting for someone to notice.

  She was taking what was hers.

  She strode through the throng of revelers and onto the dance area. She tapped the Hydraen woman on the shoulder and smiled. “I’m cutting in.”