Forcing herself to move, she quickly pressed the controls Caze had used earlier. The tub slid away and the shower stall reappeared. She needed to clean up. She ducked into the shower, turning the temperature to cold. And she definitely needed to cool off.
After she was clean, she pulled on the clothes he’d brought for her. The shirt was a gorgeous blue, the fabric silky on her skin. The trousers were a little snug across her ass, but they’d do. Next, she finger combed her hair.
“Lara.”
She spun and saw him watching her from the doorway. She felt a spurt of heat inside. He was just so damn handsome and good to look at.
God, you aren’t some swoony, teenage girl.
“Eve is on the comm,” Caze said.
“What?” Lara hurried out of the bathroom. In the living area, the large screen on the wall was lit up and filled with her sister’s face.
“Eve!”
“Lara!”
“My God.” So much emotion stormed through Lara. “You made it.”
Eve smiled. “I did. I kidnapped the war commander and didn’t die. Piece of cake.”
Lara laughed.
Then Eve raised a dark brow. “And you stole three sacred Eon gems, in Eon space.”
Lara winked. “Child’s play.”
“I’m so glad that you’re okay, Lara.”
“You, too.”
“I’m glad Caze found you.”
Lara flicked her gaze to the man in question. He was standing still and straight beside her. “Yeah, he found me. We almost killed each other.” In a variety of different ways.
Eve’s blue gaze narrowed. “I warned Caze that if he hurt you—”
“He didn’t. You know I can give as good as I get, little sis.”
Caze made a strangled sound and heat flared in his eyes. Lara knew he was imagining her lips stretched around his cock, not them beating the crap out of each other.
“I didn’t trust him, at first,” Lara continued. “He was telling me some crazy things.”
Eve grinned.
Lara crossed her arms. “Like you being in love. And mated. To an Eon warrior.”
“Warrior, get over here.” Eve waved a hand.
A huge male stepped into view. Like all Eon warriors, he was tall and muscled, and his black shirt stretched to the limit across a hard chest. He had an aggressively masculine face, one that carried an air of command.
Lara had seen pictures of him before—War Commander Davion Thann-Eon. She watched as he slid an arm across Eve’s shoulders, pulling her close to his side.
And the serious look on his face changed. Lara sucked in a breath. Yep, the war commander was in love with her sister. And her tough-as-nails sister returned the look, her face softening.
Well. A strange feeling coiled in Lara’s gut. Without intending to, her gaze flicked back to Caze.
He was watching the couple with an unreadable look on his face.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lara,” Davion said.
“War Commander.”
“Please, call me Davion. I wish circumstances were different.”
Lara sighed. “Me, too.”
“The Eon have agreed to help us against the Kantos,” Eve said.
Lara was elated at having that fact confirmed. “And Wren?”
Eve’s face fell. “No word, but we’re looking.”
Damn. Where the hell was their baby sister?
Eve shifted closer to the screen. “Lara, we need the gems returned. We received intel that the Kantos plan to steal them.”
Oh, shit. “Uh…”
Davion’s face hardened. “What happened?”
Caze stepped closer behind Lara, and she felt his fingers brush the small of her back. A small comfort.
“The Kantos attacked us on Tholla,” Caze said.
“We heard ships had been sighted on the moon.” Davion’s jaw tightened. “It is brazen of them to be so deep in Eon space. And unacceptable.”
“They ambushed us in my ship,” Caze said.
“Cren,” Davion bit out.
“We were taken to one of their cruisers,” Lara added. “But we managed to escape.”
“Lara was injured,” Caze added.
She turned her head and glared at him. Did he have to bring that up?
“What?” Eve demanded.
“I’m fine.” Lara held up a hand. “We stole a swarm ship and got to this nifty Eon stealth station. Caze healed me.” She left out the bits where he licked her until she came on his mouth, and when she sucked him until he spilled all over her. Their gazes met again, and for a second, she knew they were both back in the washroom.
“The gems?” Davion asked.
“We recovered two of them.” Caze’s tone vibrated with anger. “But they sent one off-ship. The gem of Eschar.”
Davion and Eve cursed together.
“So the gems of Ston and Alqin are safe?” Davion asked.
Caze nodded. “Right here with us.”
“It is imperative we get the gem of Eschar back, Caze.”
Caze nodded. “Is there more to this?”
“Intel has come in that the Kantos really want the gems. We just don’t know why, yet.”
Shit. Not good. Lara tapped her fingers against her thigh.
“Caze, your mission is still active,” Davion said. “You are to recover the gem of Eschar. Whatever it takes.”
“Yes, War Commander.”
“There’s no time to return Lara to the Desteron. She can stay with you, and you keep her safe until you get the gem.”
Lara growled. “I can keep myself safe.”
There was a faint flicker of a smile on Davion’s face. “You sound just like your sister.”
Eve slapped his chest.
“I can help Caze,” Lara said. “I feel responsible for this.” She met Eve’s eyes. “I want this alliance to work as much as you do.”
Her sister nodded. “Then find that gem.”
“And you find our sister.”
* * *
Caze led Lara into the nerve center of the station.
“Oh, wow.” She looked around, taking in the screens and work tables. Many of the video displays had information scrolling on them. There was a look of desire on her face.
The same look she’d given him when she’d touched him in the washroom.
Instant need stormed through Caze. Cren. They had a mission. He couldn’t think of having her naked beneath him.
He locked the feeling down. But for the first time in his life, it was hard to do.
He sat down in front of a screen. “We have intelligence probes, informants, and stealth agents sending back data on the Kantos and other enemies of the Eon Empire.”
Lara sat beside him. She looked far too delectable in her Eon clothes. “Impressive.”
Caze connected with his helian, and a cable branched out from the scales at his wrist. He hooked into the computer.
She was staring at his wrist. “How long have you had your helian?”
“Warriors are bonded with the symbiont at puberty. A few years after we enter the Eon Military Academy.”
Her face hardened. “You make children into warriors.”
“The training takes years, as does learning to bond and command your symbiont.”
She blew out a breath. “Is it true that some don’t survive the bonding?”
He inclined his head. “A few are unable to withstand the transition. They are remembered for their sacrifice.”
Lara shook her head. “I think kids deserve to be kids, but I can’t argue with the abilities the symbiont gives you.”
“Bonding with helians is what helped create the Eon Empire. When our first warriors, Ston, Alqin, Eschar, and Cren first bonded with the symbionts, it changed everything.” Of course, Cren had betrayed the others.
“Where do the helians come from?”
He raised a brow. “That is a well-kept secret.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying.�
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“I will tell you they come from certain ore mined in a secret location. The organisms survive in the rock, but cannot thrive without a biological host.”
“The sacred gems—”
“Contain some of the earliest helians ever found. From the same source where the first warriors originally discovered the creatures. But those helians are very old, and wouldn’t survive the transition to a host.”
As he started scrolling through data, Lara’s fresh scent came to him. She’d washed with the soaps in the washroom and she smelled clean and crisp. But beneath that was the scent he was starting to know so well, since it was buried in his senses—it was all Lara.
And now he knew the taste of her as well.
A taste he was still hungry for. The need felt worse now.
Caze stared at the screen. Focus on the mission, warrior. Thankfully, even though his head was filled with Lara, data was flowing on the screen, and his helian was helping him to sort through it.
He saw Lara touch the screen beside him, studying information on the Kantos.
“Can you narrow down the Kantos vessels in the location of the ship we were on?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’ve located four that could have transported the gem.”
“Shit.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “Okay, it’s a start.”
“Two of them met with larger ships. The other two disappeared.”
Her shoulders slumped. “So we have no strong leads.”
“We keep looking.” He forced himself to focus on the information, searching through the data. The minutes slipped by.
Lara helped him, and they worked surprisingly well together. He already knew that they fought well together, but knowing that they could do this quiet, slow job as well surprised him.
She stood. “I’m going to grab us something to eat.”
He nodded, and she was back soon with food and drinks. She handed him a mug, and he sniffed the unfamiliar, warm drink.
Cautiously, he sipped it and paused. “What is this?”
“I rigged your synthesizer to make coffee.” She lifted her own mug and took a large sip. Then she made a noise like a purr. “Mmm, caffeiney goodness.”
Caze sipped the strange drink again. He liked it. His helian detected the caffeine stimulant, but it had a limited effect on his system.
“I added loads of sugar.” She smiled at him over her mug. “I think you need a little sweetening up.”
He shook his head. No one in his life teased him like she did. His father never had, his trainers at the Academy never had, and certainly never his fellow warriors.
Caze reminded himself that he ate and drank for sustenance, not for enjoyment. He nodded at her. “This tastes fine.”
She rolled her eyes, but her knowing smile said that she knew he liked it.
“Try the snacks.” She pushed a plate toward him.
He eyed the unfamiliar things warily. He tried a few nibbles, and flavors exploded in his mouth.
“That cheese is brie. And that’s my favorite salami.” She dipped a cracker into a bowl of green goop. “And this is the best invention known to man, guacamole.”
Caze took his time testing all the food. He couldn’t help but savor the delicious tastes. And he couldn’t stop himself from watching Lara as she ate. The woman moaned and licked her fingers, relishing every little thing.
Then a chime sounded from the computer and he frowned.
“What is it?” She leaned forward.
“A message. An information broker is asking around…about the gem of Eschar.”
She straightened. “You think this broker knows something useful?”
“Perhaps.”
“Is he Eon?”
“No.” Caze looked at her. “He’s Kantos.”
She went stiff. “What?”
“He’s a defector. He lives in the Hyrokkin Quadrant. It’s right on the edge of Eon space and is essentially lawless. There are no rules and no law enforcement. Several species have made their home there, so it’s a melting pot of aliens.”
“Okay,” she said slowly.
“We’re going to visit this broker. He lives on a planet called Titania.”
Lara leaned over and tapped the screen. Then she hissed.
Caze saw the images she’d brought up. It showed Titania, a small world surrounded by layers of space junk.
“The surface isn’t much better,” he told her. “It’s covered in junk, trash, and scrap. It was an old dumping ground for the Oronis.”
She tilted her head. “The Oronis? I’ve never heard of them.”
“Another species who are also closely related to the Eon. They are warriors as well, and allies. Since they relinquished Titania, the denizens of Hyrokkin have claimed it, and added to the mess. Most residents are in the scrap business. Stripping old starships and selling the parts and scrap.”
Lara stood. “Well, let’s get moving. Um, are we taking the swarm ship?”
“No. There are Eon stealth ships in the hangar.”
She rubbed her hands together. “Can I fly it?”
“No.” He made his way toward the door.
She followed, frowning. “Why not?”
“It’s an Eon ship. I’m the Eon warrior, so I fly.”
“Just a little turn?”
“No.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “I’ll bring you around, warrior.”
The promise in her voice had heat arcing between them.
Caze tried to remind himself that they had no time for the fierce attraction between them. The mission came first. “We’ll see, Earth warrior.”
Chapter Ten
They approached Titania and Lara stared in shock, amazed at the space junk everywhere.
The debris looked like a cloud surrounding the small planet. The surface was dark—no visible water or vegetation. Several ships of varying shapes and sizes were landing and taking off.
After the Climate Wars, Earth had finally pulled its collective head out of its ass and learned to manage the planet’s environment. On Titania, it appeared the opposite was going on.
She glanced to the side and saw that Caze was focused on flying. He was bringing them in through a docking lane, his hands moving expertly over the controls.
She imagined them on her skin and licked her lips.
Lara wasn’t made for relationships, but she would enjoy her hot warrior for as long as she could. When they parted ways, she’d take some sexy memories with her. Strangely, the thought gave her an odd feeling in her gut.
She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time for naughty, lustful imaginings.
“Would you like to bring us in?”
Caze’s deep voice jolted her out of her thoughts. “Really?”
“I would have offered earlier, but deep-space flying is—”
“Boring.”
He shot her a small smile. “And you don’t do boring.”
God, she liked him. He already knew her pretty darn well.
He waved her over and she slid between his legs. She pressed her butt between his thighs on the edge of his chair and his arms closed around her.
For a second, she breathed him in, all thoughts of flying leaving her head. Then his deep voice started talking in her ear, and she made herself follow his instructions.
He guided her through the docking beacons, and she laughed, dodging hunks of space junk. They moved in under a larger ship.
“You’re a natural,” he said.
They descended through the planet’s atmosphere, and she got a full view of the city below.
Only one word could adequately describe it—ugly.
Haphazardly constructed apartment buildings, large, grimy warehouses, and towering piles of junk stretched as far as she could see. Factories covered in chimneys pumped thick, black smoke into the air. It wasn’t pretty at all.
“There’s the space port,” Caze said.
From what she could see, most of the space port was subterranean
. Large, horizontal hangar doors were open, with ships flying in and out.
Caze took over for the landing, maneuvering their ship into line. Soon, they lowered down into the main hangar. The cavernous space was lined with walkways, and ships were lined up everywhere. The majority appeared to be large cargo haulers.
He brought them in to land—smooth and easy—and they parked beside a giant cargo freighter.
Lara rose, checking her weapons and borrowed light armor. The Eon stealth station had been well-stocked and she’d found gear to fit her. Caze did some final checks on the ship before they both strode off.
As they descended the ramp, the sharp smell of things burning hit her nostrils. A small robot hovered in the air before them, dome-shaped and silver, with several green lights flashing on it.
“Welcome to Titania. Your account will be charged the standard docking fee,” the synthesized voice droned.
Caze strode straight past it.
They went up a set of metallic steps, their boots echoing. Then they moved onto a wide walkway. They passed several groups of beings, and Lara felt a spurt of excitement. Many of the species were completely new to her. Earth’s space travel had exploded over the last few decades, but the Space Corps still mainly stuck to their own solar system.
They passed a giant, open doorway, and she glanced into the vast space. Several people in huge welding masks were working on a rusty ship. She realized they were cutting it up for scrap.
Crossing a covered walkway to another building, she glanced out a grimy window. “All the buildings are linked by walkways?”
He nodded. “The air quality outside isn’t very good. Most residents of Titania stay indoors.”
Caze led her a short distance and she realized they were in the lobby of one of the grungy apartment buildings. They passed under a panel of glass roof and she looked up. The building rose above, looking like someone had randomly stacked boxes on top of one another without bothering to line them up straight.
He led her into an elevator and touched the controls.
The doors squeaked closed and she winced. “Pretty sure we’re risking our lives in this hunk of junk.”
The elevator lurched upward, gathering speed. It jerked to a halt hard enough to rattle her bones, and finally the doors opened. The corridor was a bland beige, with worn flooring, and several laser burns scoring the walls. Nice.
Touch of Eon: Eon Warriors #2 Page 8
