by Layla Nash
“In my defense…” Faros started. He paused long enough to give his second-in-command a dirty look. “He was a traitor. The son of a haugmawt was working for some Alliance information officer, trading rebel ship signatures to the Fleet. He got at least ten crews captured or killed. He deserved everything that landed on him.”
“But you didn’t know he was guilty when you assaulted him and incited his crew to mutiny, did you?”
“I had my suspicions,” the pirate said.
She laughed and shook her head. “That won’t hold up in court.”
“It doesn’t have to.” Faros smiled, but there was a hint of coldness, of cruelty in his expression that spoke to how he felt about traitors. “That’s why we go with the extrajudicial option. There are no courtrooms in ungoverned space, and there aren’t courtrooms among pirates.”
“Hah,” she said, pointing at him in triumph. “You just admitted you’re a pirate.”
Faros didn’t even blink. “Good thing there are no courtrooms in ungoverned space and there’s no judge to sentence me.”
Violet exhaled loudly in exasperation. Just when she got an admission from the defendant, he changed the parameters of the game. “So where did your suspicions come from, then? If they wouldn’t have stood up to an actual investigation and scrutiny.”
“He asked too many questions,” Faros said slowly. He at least looked like he thought about the answer, instead of boasting about some ridiculous sixth or seventh sense. The pirate tilted his head back to consider the ceiling. He kept chewing on the hunk of spiced meat that was all that remained of the massive spread of protein and fermented paste that the two Xaravians had eaten for the meal. He broke out a new bottle of the awful liquor and started pouring shots. “Knew too much.”
“That’s not evidence,” Violet said.
“I didn’t need evidence,” Faros said. “I trust my instincts. My instincts told me he was a dirty sandsnake. Just like my instincts told me...”
He trailed off and Violet arched her eyebrows. The Xaravian’s scales surged with a whirl of color that she couldn’t interpret. Wyzak snorted and shoved to his feet, pretending like he had a call on the comms pack, and grunted something about checking in with the navigator. He swigged several shots of liquor, refilled them, and wandered off with an extra glass for himself. Violet ignored the grumpy second-in-command and kept her attention on the captain. It felt like he’d almost admitted something important. Or maybe just something embarrassing.
Either way, she wanted to know what it was. Violet folded her arms over her chest and leveled her own challenging look at the pirate. “Well? Just like your instincts told you what?”
Something in the set of his mouth made it clear he hadn’t meant to say it and didn’t want to talk about it. Faros tilted his head at the ordering screen after sliding her more of the clear liquor. “You should eat more.”
“I’d rather hear more about your instincts.” Violet grinned, finally enjoying having the upper hand. The pirate needed a taste of his own medicine after all the misery and uncertainty he’d caused her. She even tossed back the shot, confident that she’d only have one or two and then could sleep it off before she made any bad decisions. “What were you going to say? Your instincts told you to what? If you were right about the traitor based on your instincts alone, then surely your finely-honed sense of danger is right again. Right?”
She had a moment to reflect on the insanity of teasing a Xaravian pirate about his instincts, when they weren’t known as a species for their patience or sense of humor, then Faros fixed her with a look that made the rest of the universe disappear.
His eyes practically glowed silver, intense to the point of almost throwing sparks. She couldn’t breathe. A slow smile curved the corners of his mouth and his teeth gleamed. The pirate leaned back in his chair, confident and calm, and rested his massive hands on the surface of the table. “My instincts told me to take you.”
Violet’s jaw went slack. She couldn’t look away from him and the blue-green-purple swirls in his scales. What had that meant with the Xaravians on the Galaxos? As hard as she tried, she couldn’t remember anything except being in that room with Faros. How had she ever thought she could have escaped? The pirate reminded her of the boulders at the farm—ancient and unmovable and certain. Grounded.
She tried to breathe normally so he wouldn’t see how off-balance she was. At least she could have blamed the liquor if he asked; she reached for another shot and ignored that her fingers trembled just a bit. She didn’t have any reason to suspect... “Why?”
Faros shrugged but lost none of his intensity. “Hard to say. Could be you’re meant to help me out of a sticky legal situation. Or it could be something else. No way to tell except time.”
“That’s such a-a-a barbarian thing to think,” she blurted out. “There’s no logic in that. No reason. You can’t just go around kidnapping people with no idea why you’re doing it.”
“You also seemed to think I couldn’t go around accusing traitors of being traitors, but I did and was correct. So...” He held his hands up. “Where does that leave us?”
Violet fumbled for a response but came up empty. Another thought struck her. “Then once this mission is over, you said you would let me go. What if you still don’t know why your instincts told you to kidnap me?”
“Detained you,” he corrected. “But we can weather that sandstorm when we reach it.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. “That’s bullshit.”
“Bull… shit? I don’t know this idiom.”
“It’s…animal excrement. It’s not a real explanation or a real answer.”
Faros nodded, suppressing a smile. “Yes, I like it. Bullshit. You Earthers. Such an interesting turn of phrase.”
Violet wanted to tear out her hair and scream at him for being so lackadaisical and obtuse. He couldn’t possibly have survived so long with so much uncertainty and lack of purpose. How did someone go through life without knowing why they did things? Just trusting some nebulous feeling? She hadn’t trusted her feelings in years.
Before Violet got her thoughts together, Faros swigged from the liquor and pushed his chair back from the table, rising to his immense height. “All this privateering is draining. We sleep when we can, and with the Tyboli waiting for us out there, you’ll want rest. Let’s go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“To rest,” he repeated, slow and deliberate like she didn’t speak Earther at all. “Unless you wish to argue with me more?”
She kind of did. But Violet damn well wouldn’t admit that to him. She wobbled to her feet and headed for the exit. “Fine. I’ll review the contract in my quarters, and—”
His hand slid around her arm and pulled her up short; instead of turning left to where she’d stayed before, the captain turned right and led her a short way down the corridor. “You sleep here until I can trust you not to hide in walls.”
Her cheeks burned at the reminder of her ridiculous behavior. Part of her appreciated the way he held her arm, and not just because the liquor made her head spin. The warm friction of his palms against her skin... She shivered. “Here? Where is… Whose quarters are these?”
Violet set her heels as he opened the sliding door and dragged her in. It only took a second before she realized they had to be his quarters—the size gave it away, but also the decoration—what little there was of it. Newton’s apples, he didn’t expect her to... She yanked her arm away the moment she saw the fact that there was one—albeit large—bed. “Oh no. No no no no. No.”
Faros heaved an exaggerated sigh and shed his outer coat-robe to toss across what looked like a desert tent-style chaise. “I’m not happy about it either, believe me. I’ve heard you Earther females snore. But I can’t trust you anywhere else, apparently.”
“I’ll stay in my quarters,” Violet said. Her stomach clenched with nerves. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. Well, she didn’t trust him, but she also didn’t trust herself
around him. If he kissed her again... She shivered. Resisting the urge to climb into bed with him didn’t seem like something she could do. Even with as arrogant as he was.
“Too late.” Faros yawned and pulled off his boots. He locked the door and pressed his palm into the panel on the wall, and shot her a sideways look. “The only way you’re getting out is if you chop off my hand, and you won’t be able to do that. Believe me. So settle down and get some sleep.”
Violet stared at him, flummoxed, as the pirate captain shuffled into the water closet and let the door whoosh shut behind him.
Chapter 16
Faros
He would have laughed at her expression if lust hadn’t seethed just under his scales. He probably should have let her have quarters adjacent to his, if only for his own sanity, because having her scent in his rooms would haunt him for weeks. Faros stayed in the water closet long enough to go through his nightly ritual, then gave her a few more minutes to compose herself before he reappeared.
Violet stood in the exact same spot, still dumbfounded. Faros arched his eyebrows at her and tossed her a clean towel. “All yours. Try not to make a mess.”
She spluttered in what he hoped was fury, but since her human skin only turned red, he couldn’t read more into her feelings. She caught the towel, though, and looked like she wanted to whip it right back at him. Instead, Violet fled to the bathroom and tried to lock the door behind her. He called out that it wouldn’t lock and she went still and silent.
Faros shook his head and stripped down to the loose trousers that served as underclothes, yawning more and stretching. He could have used a great deal more rest before facing down the temptation of having Violet in his quarters. In his bed, even. He frowned as he considered the room. He had the couch and the bed. If he were a gentleman, he’d offer her the bed. But he wasn’t a gentleman. Faros snorted and shook his head, flopping down to his bed and flipping on a viewing screen that provided a running scroll of news from across the galaxy. He was an idiot. A complete, total idiot.
And he was in far more trouble than he’d planned.
Violet reappeared looking a little more composed but smelling like his soap, which didn’t help his urge to claim her. As much as he enjoyed the sassy, self-assured Violet, there was something unbelievably enticing about her being a little uncertain, a little shy. She looked around like she didn’t know what to do, so Faros patted the mattress next to him and grinned. “Feel free to join me whenever you’re ready.”
Her face turned bright red once more but one foot moved as if she’d actually do it. Faros didn’t dare speak or even breathe loudly. By the suns of Xarav, he’d never expected that she would join him. Violet huffed and stumbled back, searching the room for something, and didn’t quite look at him. “Unbelievable.”
He expected her to go to the chaise and grump at him more, but instead she staggered to the desk and shelf with books and logs he’d collected over the years. Faros remained where he was, stretched out and hopefully tempting, as he watched her explore. Violet moved self-consciously, tucking her hair behind her ears over and over in a nervous habit. It was rather adorable, though it also made him want to muss her hair up completely.
She swayed and reached out to balance herself on the desk—and missed. Faros leapt to catch her and managed to keep her from hitting the deck. But it left her wrapped up in his arms with their noses almost touching. Faros stared at her and inhaled the scent of her skin. Moon help him, he hadn’t felt that way for a female in years. Since his son’s mother died.
Violet blinked her wide eyes and her soft, plump lips parted in surprise.
Faros shook himself and stood her up, putting her in the chair at his desk. “You should be more careful.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t make me drink so much of that horrible liquor,” she muttered.
“I didn’t make you drink anything, sweetheart.” He debated calling Wyzak or one of the officers to remove her from his quarters and take her somewhere else, although he knew he’d never live it down if he needed to be “rescued” from the Earther’s presence. Her lips called to him, almost demanding to be tasted—and he already knew what she’d taste like. Xaravian food and good liquor, probably legal precedent and law and order. “And you didn’t drink that much.”
“My mass is significantly less ... substantial than yours,” she said. “So I can’t drink nearly as much without getting tipsy.”
“Your mass looks perfectly fine to me.”
She laughed, slapping her forehead. “That’s the worst line I’ve heard in ages.”
Faros liked hearing her laugh, although he didn’t appreciate being laughed at. “What do you mean by ‘line’? It is a true statement—your mass appears to be adequate. What bearing does that have on what you drink?”
Her mouth turned up at the corners and her eyes twinkled to the point that he almost thought they’d changed colors. A bit of flush rose in her cheeks, and he wondered if perhaps she wanted to be pursued. He’d expected a prickly lawyer in his room—which would have helped his self-control immensely, since he didn’t force himself on females. But if Violet was willing...
Faros swallowed hard and tried to find some reserve of gentlemanly restraint as another giggle escaped from Violet.
She attempted to look serious. “How Earthers metabolize alcohol depends on their mass.”
He didn’t need a lecture about Earther metabolism, although he wouldn’t have minded a lesson on anatomy. The thought made him smile, and something in her relaxed. She smiled in response. Faros moved closer and his voice deepened. “That’s not the most interesting thing I’ve heard you say.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows rose and she put her fists on her hips. “Then what is?”
“That you want me to kiss you.”
Her head tilted slightly. “I never said that.”
“Maybe you should.”
Understanding slowly filtered across her expression, and the alluring flush crept up her throat and across her face. Faros didn’t move or look away. He wanted her to see in his eyes how much he wanted her. He wanted her to know. He didn’t know what the fuck he’d do if she rejected him, but he’d never backed down from a challenge. And he still remembered how she’d kissed him back only a short while ago. The passion was there. He just needed an opportunity to unleash it.
She gnawed her lower lip, then whispered, “Maybe you should.”
“Maybe I should what?” He took another step, reached out and caught her wrist. Waited for her resistance to fade so he could pull her closer.
“Say you want me to kiss you.”
He barely heard her, but every syllable sent lightning through him. “I want you to kiss me, Violet. Now.”
She didn’t move right away, so he figured he’d help her out a little. Faros reeled her in with his hold on her wrist, and pressed her against his chest until her lips hovered just a breath from his. And then he waited.
Chapter 17
Violet
Violet knew she’d lost her mind. Maybe it was the liquor, or maybe it was the adrenaline and confusion of her time on the Sraibur... Or maybe she just wanted to get laid and he looked like he knew how to do a good job. Even if he were the type to be selfish, she could get what she needed.
She told herself it was just a one-night thing, just a little stress release. Maybe an effort to get Faros to lower his guard so she could escape; if he thought she wanted him romantically, maybe he’d stop looking at her like a flight risk.
She tried to decide what made the most sense, but in the end it didn’t matter. Faros pulled her close until the bare scales of his chest snagged her clothes. He radiated heat and fire, and his eyes blazed silver like mercury. She couldn’t breathe. When he told her to kiss him—just like she’d asked him to—Violet was tempted to make a joke and wiggle away.
But with the look in his eyes and the heavy strength of his arms... She wasn’t entirely certain he’d let her escape easily. And that sent another spike of exciteme
nt through her. There was something so appealing about the base, almost barbaric need in his face.
She didn’t have to crane her neck very far to press her lips to his, closing her eyes even though she still saw his when she did.
He tasted like a hint of the spicy paste that dominated Xaravian food, but she didn’t have much time to reflect on that. The moment their mouths connected, Faros’s arms tightened around her and he growled low in his throat. It felt like he expanded and the room contracted at the same time.
Violet opened to him when his tongue slid against her lips, and her hands worked into his long hair to hold his head close. She didn’t think he’d leave anytime soon, but she didn’t want to risk losing that connection. Her stomach clenched with need. He gripped her hips until Violet knew she’d have bruises. She didn’t care. At all. She wanted more from him—more kissing, more need, more everything.
The room tilted as Faros straightened them both up and somehow also lifted Violet off her feet. She held onto his shoulders as Faros kept kissing her. Violet couldn’t remember whether being tipsy made her disoriented or if it was just the lightning-fast change in her status with the pirate captain. She broke the kiss and tried to breathe normally, despite panting like after running her physical fitness test. “Wait.”
He dragged her hips closer to his, his need obvious. “For what?”
She didn’t know. She really didn’t know.
Violet groaned as his rough palm slid up the inside of her thigh; her head fell back and she barely managed to wrap her legs around his waist. “I forgot.”
Faros chuckled and then the room tilted again and Violet found herself sprawled on his bed. The Xaravian loomed over her, one knee on the mattress next to her, and looked down at her with those glowing eyes. She felt exposed and raw, like he was the first male to really see her through and through. But she didn’t feel judged—just seen. After all, what the hell was the pirate captain going to judge her for?