by Jodi Redford
In the chaos that ensued, Lucus reached for Rini. She was no longer by his side. Panicked, he pivoted and noticed her sprawled a few yards to the left of him. He scrambled towards her just as another quake rippled through the atmosphere. The disturbance propelled him to his knees. “Jesus Christ, is the goddamn planet exploding?”
Rini rolled onto her back. Her groan turned to a gasp. “I don’t believe it. Lucus, look!”
He followed her gaze to the sky. Ten enormous wing guard carriers were hurtling towards them. Each bore the official seal of the UGG on their shiny bellies.
Hysterical laughter bubbled from Rini. “They found us.”
“About damn time.” Lucus pushed from the ground, his attention locked on the squadron of ships. “I never thought I’d say this, but fuck am I happy to see those bastards.”
A furious shout came from Quarrel. Lucus turned and spied the general hobbling after his departing clipper. He gave up when the vehicle sped out of sight and instead made an obscene gesture with four of his tentacles.
Lucus’s chuckle petered off as dozens of scout pods ejected from the overhead battleships. Seeing all those armored cylinders descending through space was enough to give a man shivers. He was just grateful his ass wasn’t the one with the big ole bull’s-eye on it.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
He heard the awe in Rini’s voice and glanced at her. She looked like a kid who’d woken up Christmas morning and discovered an entire toy store beneath the tree. “They’re all right.”
She gaped at him. “That’s over a billion tons of sleek, highly efficient fighting machines up there, and all you can say is they’re—” She broke off when he grinned. “You are such a smart-ass.”
The first scout landed. Its hatch door hissed open and three soldiers decked out in camo flight suits climbed from the pod. The tallest pushed up his helmet shield and peered at Rini. “Are you Ms. Campell?”
Rini frowned. “Yes. How in the universe did you know that?”
“Ma’am, your family put out a search request for you two days ago. When headquarters picked up a distress call from Aquatica of all places, your parents feared you might have gotten yourself in a bit of trouble.”
Lucus snorted. “Wonder what’d put that loony idea in their heads?”
She elbowed him in the ribs before turning a beaming smile on the soldier. “You have no idea how ecstatic we are to see—” Her statement broke off with a shriek when eight tentacles wrapped around her body and yanked her against Quarrel’s blubberous gut.
Three red dots appeared on the general’s forehead—courtesy of the soldiers’ laser subguns. Despite the heavy artillery surrounding them, a wash of queasy dread churned in Lucus’s stomach. “Let her go, Quarrel. You’re outnumbered.”
Desperation etched the general’s rubbery face. “I want one of those pods and a free ticket out of here. If you don’t honor my demands, I’m snapping her neck.”
Rini’s exaggerated sigh blanketed Lucus’s growl. “You know, it’s extremely rude to touch someone without being invited.” With a shrill warrior’s cry, she swung her leg back and crunched the heel of her foot into Quarrel’s groin.
Roaring, the general released her and flopped to the ground. Rini wiped her hands on the seat of her pants. “Man, he’s slimy.” Grimacing, she glanced towards the soldiers who were all staring at her slack-jawed. “Hey, anyone have any antibacterial wipes?”
The soldier who’d spoken earlier sidled up next to Lucus. “Is she always this…?”
“Nuts?” Lucus filled in the blank for him. “Hell, you have no idea.”
Chapter Sixteen
“This is the last one, I promise.”
Rini eyed the slim cylinder the doc was inserting into the inoculator chamber. “You said the same thing the last eight pokes you gave me.”
“True, but this time I actually mean it.” He pressed the wand on her biceps. Searing heat pricked her skin, followed by a puff of air. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Chuckling, the doc exited through the sliding stainless-steel door, leaving her alone in the small medi-port room her parents had insisted on admitting her into. Much as she appreciated her parents’ concern for her well-being, the austere white walls were starting to give her a major headache. Plus she missed Lucus. All this would be way more bearable if they could snuggle together in the same bed.
The door whisked open and her heart gave an excited leap. Her parents walked into the room, all smiles and happy tears. She immediately felt guilty for the momentary twinge of disappointment that struck when she realized they weren’t Lucus. Guilt morphed into a heavy tightness in her chest as her mother burst into racking sobs. She never could handle seeing her mom cry. “It’s okay. I’m fine now.”
Plopping onto the corner of the thin mattress, her mom wrapped her in a fierce hug. “Darling, we were so terrified. Don’t ever scare us that way again.”
Rini stifled a smile. “Yes, Mom. I’ll try very hard not to crash on any more planets.”
“This is why I never wanted you to become a field agent.” Her mom’s head lifted, and Rini peered into red-rimmed eyes that were a mirror of her own. “Your father and I have been talking and we think it’d be best—”
“No.”
“Darling, don’t be stubborn.”
Dragging in a deep breath, Rini struggled to remain calm. The only way to tackle her parents was with reason. Flying off the handle or throwing a temper tantrum would only bite her in the butt. She settled her focus on her dad. He looked like he’d inherited several more gray hairs in the past week and deep lines of fatigue bracketed his mouth. She hated making them worry this way, but they needed to let her be her own woman. “I’m not going back behind the desk. I hate it there.”
“We’ll lighten your load. Jeffrey has been eager to pick up some overtime. I’m sure he’ll—”
“Mom, listen to me.” Frustrated, Rini scraped a hand through her tangled hair. “I need more out of life than shuffling papers. Please understand that.”
Her mother’s mouth pinched in disapproval. “This renewed stubbornness you’re showing has something to do with that pilot you were stranded with, doesn’t it?”
“Lucus has nothing to do with this.”
“According to the doctor, you and the pilot seem very…close.”
Rini tossed up her hands. “How in the universe did this conversation twist around to my relationship with Lucus?”
Surprised flickered over her mom’s face. “The two of you have developed a relationship? Rini, you’ve just met this man.”
“Yes, but in the short time we’ve been together, I feel closer to him than any man I’ve ever known. Except for dad, of course.”
Her father gave a weak smile. More than likely he was trying to keep out any nightmarish images of his daughter having wild, sweaty desert sex with a pilot.
“Lucus also took extremely good care of me after my brush with the nictick.” She speared both her parents with a censorious look. “He’s the reason I’m lying here, safe and sound, rather than stuck as a pile of ash in a crematorium tube.”
“Darling, do not forget you were sent to repossess his ship.” Her mother squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Surely that isn’t the sort of individual you want to be in a relationship with?”
“All that was a misunderstanding. His brother Chase forgot to drop off the payments. And with all the drama of rescuing his brother from Quarrel and then submitting to the general’s demands of running his smuggling operation, Lucus had too much on his mind the last few months.”
“Smuggling?” Her mother swayed and clutched at the bedframe.
“Well, he wasn’t in it by choice. The general backed him into a corner. See, Chase was caught doing the mattress mambo with Quarrel’s concubine and Lucus couldn’t let his brother go belly-up in a death tank.”
Both her parents goggled at her and she inwardly groaned. Oh man,
what was in those inoculations? They’re making me run my mouth off.
“Maybe we’d better let Rini get some sleep.” Clearing his throat, her dad strode to the bedside and gave her a peck. “Rest, honey, we’ll be back to check on you later.”
Wearing an expression like Rini had just sprouted an extra head, her mom rose and slumped against her husband’s side with a melodramatic sob. Waiting until her parents abandoned the room, Rini rolled her eyes. “Oh brother.” She fluffed her pillow and tried not to stare directly at the glaring white ceiling. After a few minutes boredom began to sink in and she started to drift off. The sound of the door opening jerked her back to consciousness. “Hey, I thought you guys wanted me to sleep.”
“Well fuck, I had other plans in mind for you.”
At the sound of Lucus’s amused baritone, she snapped her head around.
A delectable grin spread across his face. “Guess I’m shit out of luck, huh?”
She yanked back the covers and patted the mattress. “Get your cute buns over here.”
“Damn, I love me a woman who knows how to take charge.” He locked the door and stalked towards her, his gait loose and easy, the gleam in his eyes promising her a whole hell of a lot of fun. Her gaze ate him up, loving the way his navy blue T-shirt clung to his muscled torso and the placket of his jeans cupped his steadily growing erection.
He stopped in front of her and she swung her legs over the side of the bed, straddling his thighs. With impatient fingers, she shoved his shirt out of the way. He pulled the fabric over his head and she kissed his chiseled abdomen. His soft groan made her pussy clench. She fumbled with his zipper, wishing she could be all smooth, practiced seduction and teasing temptress, but her need for him outweighed all else.
The zipper gave and she rucked his jeans down his hips. He’d decided to go commando. An appreciative sigh filtered from her as she feathered a fingertip over the prominent vein running along the underside of his magnificent cock. When she reached the plump head, she hunched forward and engulfed it inside her mouth.
A hiss snaked from Lucus. “Jesus.”
Encouraged by his reaction, she opened her mouth wider, taking in more of his thick shaft. His hands slid through her hair, holding her steady as his hips rocked. The taste of him, the silky way he moved between her lips, escalated her need even more. She dug her fingers into his buttocks and bobbed her head, swallowing him towards the back of her throat.
“Baby…God…” Moaning, he pulled her up off him and kissed her hard, his tongue thrusting deep.
She groped for his shaft again but he twined their fingers together, stalling her. His tongue retreated and he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, earning an anxious whimper from her.
“It’s okay, sweetness. I’m going to make this good for you.”
She almost laughed at his soothing words. Good for me? She was five seconds away from combusting in flames. He eased her onto the mattress and reached for the hem of her short nightie. His mouth crooked in a smile when he spotted the purple kitties marching across the material.
“I know. Not exactly sexy.”
“Baby, anything on—or off you—is sexy.” He peeled the nightie from her body before removing his jeans. She reached for him but he stretched her legs wide and combed his fingers through her triangular patch of ginger-colored curls. A sound of deep satisfaction rumbled from his chest. “You’re wet.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you the past ten minutes. So think you could speed things—” A gasp broke from her when he slipped his index and middle fingers inside her soaked channel and pumped.
“You were saying?” Hooking both fingers, he found her G-spot and rubbed with excruciating accuracy. She thrashed on the bed, the sensations so intense she struggled to escape them. He wouldn’t let her, the bastard. Flattening his free hand on her belly, he held her in place, his focus fused on her flushed face while he continued his exquisite torment with his questing fingers. His thumb flicked over her clitoris and she bowed off the mattress, a mute scream trapped in her throat. She milked his fingers in an orgasm that lasted forever.
Finally he removed his hands. Before she completely came down from the glow, Lucus lifted above her and drove his cock home in one powerful thrust. He caught her cry against his mouth. Wrapping her arms tight around him, she quickly matched the rhythm of his strokes. His tongue danced with hers, mimicking the slick in-and-out glide of his cock.
Her entire world existed within Lucus at that moment. The shift of damp skin beneath her hands. The harsh breaths pouring from his mouth. The look of agonized pleasure that seized his features moments before he shuddered and emptied his seed inside her.
Loving someone with your whole being—it made sex so much more wonderful and devastating.
Lucus pulled the covers over Rini’s shoulders before kissing her on the brow. She continued snoring softly. He felt bad for slipping from the room like he was trying to make a quick getaway, but he didn’t want to risk someone walking in and finding him buck naked in her bed. Might be a little embarrassing explaining that one to her folks.
He stepped into the corridor and winced when he spotted the elegant red-haired woman camped in the lounge across the way. Shit.
She rose and strode purposefully towards him, her heels clicking their authority on the gleaming white tile. “Mr. Granger, may I have a word with you please?” She formed it as a question but her tone implied there’d be no negotiating his options.
“Sure.” Scratching the back of his head, he gestured to the lounge she’d just vacated. She turned an about-face and he trailed after her, his nostrils getting the full treatment from her heavy rose perfume.
Perching on the edge of one of the leather chairs, she twisted the pearls roping her neck. “I don’t know how to put this delicately, Mr. Granger.”
Taking his own seat, he cleared his throat. “Nothing was happening in there. I just wanted to peek in on Rini and see how she was doing.”
She pinned him with a tell-me-another-bullshit-story stare. Now he knew who Rini had inherited the expression from. “I’m concerned for my daughter, and frankly all of this has me more than a little troubled.” She waved towards the medi-port. “Rini is in a vulnerable position right now. She’s not thinking clearly.”
He didn’t need to read between the lines. “You think it’d be a mistake for her to be with me.”
“Yes.”
“Well damn. Thanks for not beating around the bush.”
“When it comes to my daughter, I’m not going to play coy. Rini is a very special woman. She has her entire life ahead of her.”
A hollow ringing pinged in Lucus’s ears. Her words might as well be a ghostly imprint from the conversation he shared with Sandra fifteen years ago—the night she’d told him she wanted a divorce. I have my entire life in front of me, Lucus. And it scares me because I don’t like where it’s headed. I want more than this. “More than me.”
“What?”
The memory disintegrated and was replaced by the frowning woman sitting beside him. He shook his head. “Nothing.”
Rini’s mother crossed one leg over the other and the sound of her wool slacks scritching together was almost deafening in the tense silence. “I’m sure you’re a nice man at heart, Mr. Granger.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her placating tone. “I assume there’s a but popping in here soon.”
Her fingers returned to her pearls. “My daughter informed me of the…unsavory…business arrangement you had with General Quarrel.” She held up her other hand when he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Rini explained the situation, so you can stop giving the exit doors covetous glances.”
Ignoring his surprised choke, she stood and blocked his chair. Apparently she didn’t trust that he wouldn’t make a dash for it. “It’s unfortunate the general put you in such a sticky predicament and I understand it isn’t your fault, but I can’t overlook how this will impact Rini.”
He frowned. “How would Rini be affected? She didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“It doesn’t matter. The instant the galaxy broadcasters glom onto the story of the general’s takedown, they’ll be looking for all kinds of sordid gossip they can spread on the network. The more Rini is connected to you, the more chance they’ll have to drag her through the mud.”
A sick feeling clawed his gut. Much as he wanted to, he couldn’t pretend Rini’s mom didn’t have a valid point. Once the newshounds uncovered the ugly details of his arrangement with Quarrel they’d have a field day flinging the dirt. And it’d be one hell of a juicy tidbit if they could tie a smuggler with an agent of the UGG repo department—the great-great-granddaughter of the founding father, no less.
His thoughts drifted to the anguished expression on Rini’s face when they’d stood that night by the bonfire and she’d admitted her deep dark secret to him. She’d given up her biggest dream to protect her family. He’d be the biggest bastard if he made her sacrifice all for nothing.
Chapter Seventeen
The last damn person Lucus wanted to see swaggered into the hospital cafeteria with a shit-eating grin. “Hey, bro, sounds like you had a hell of an adventurous couple a days.”
He gave Chase a narrow look. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Chase’s smile slipped a little. “When Ma told me what happened—”
Lucus stood, the obnoxious screech from the metal chair legs cutting his brother off. He stalked from the cafeteria, his stride stiff. Chase caught up with him halfway down the corridor.
“I fucking hate it when you walk away from me like that.”
He didn’t bother glancing at Chase. “I don’t give a good goddamn what you hate.”
“No shit. That’s been real clear for a while now.”
His brother’s sarcasm managed to haul him to a stop. Clenching his fists, he glared at Chase. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here.”
“I came to apologize.” Stubbornness and strangely enough sincerity lurked in Chase’s eyes. “It’s my fault all this crap with Quarrel went down. It should have been me paying the price, not you.”