by Tana Stone
“Nina, Reina, Serge, and I decided to go down to the promenade level to check on the progress there. While we were viewing the buildings, a steel beam fell from above.”
I made a quick mental calculation of where the construction crew was working in the station and how far the promenade was below that. The steel beam must have plummeted twenty stories, which meant that we’d been lucky it hadn’t crashed through the promenade flooring. My mouth went dry as I thought about the potential damage and death.
“No one was hurt?”
She shook her head. “I pushed Serge out of the way just before the beam hit him.”
“What?” Breath hitched in my chest. “You were almost hit?”
“Not me, Serge. I wasn’t in the path of the beam, but Serge was, and he wasn’t paying attention, so I had to tackle him. He wasn’t too pleased with me afterward.”
I could imagine how the tiny Gatazoid would have complained after being tackled. Even imagining him squawking didn’t lessen the panic and fear that choked me.
I stepped closer to Zoey. “You could have been killed. What were you thinking?”
She didn’t back away from me, instead tipping her head back. “I was thinking that I had to save Serge. He may be a royal pain in my ass most days, but I couldn’t let the little guy get crushed.” She cocked her head at me. “I thought Drexian warriors were all about saving others and being heroes.”
“You aren’t a Drexian warrior.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t stand by and let my friends get killed.” She glared at me. “Not if I can save them.”
I returned her fierce stare, hating that she’d come so close to being killed, and hating even more that it made fear claw at my throat.
“If it makes you feel any better, if I hadn’t saved him, your timeline would be way more fucked.”
I flinched. “You think my main concern is the timeline?”
“Isn’t it? I mean, it’s all you’ve talked about for as long as I’ve been here. You’re so obsessed with getting finished on time I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bonus in it for you.”
“I assure you, there is no bonus.” I wrinkled my nose on the last, distasteful word. “Inferno Force warriors don’t care about compensation.”
“Aren’t you lucky?”
We held each other’s fiery gazes for a few beats until I finally stepped back and scraped a hand roughly through my hair. “Do you enjoy provoking me?”
“Me?” She laughed, the high sounds echoing off the corridor’s curved walls. “You’ve done nothing but challenge me at every turn. Do you know how hard it is to do my job when you’re constantly breathing down my neck?”
I instinctively glanced at the soft, brown skin of her long neck. “I do not breathe down your neck. I have never touched your neck.”
“It’s an expression. It means you micro-manage me. I can’t do anything without you making some sort of criticism.”
“That is untrue,” I said, shaking my head vigorously. “It is my job to oversee you and every crew member of this ship. If I offer constructive suggestions—”
“Constructive?” Her laugh this time was sharp. “Telling someone they need to work faster isn’t constructive.”
“Like I’ve said before, I was tasked with overseeing the construction of this station and ensuring it would be ready for the first arrival of tributes. My attempts to get the crew to work faster have only been in pursuit of that goal.”
She leaned forward. “Well, that pursuit almost got someone killed today.”
Her words hung in the air between us for a few moments, and I blinked hard, as if I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly.
“You’re blaming the accident on me?” I asked, my voice low and deadly.
Her defiant expression faltered. “That’s not what I said. Not exactly.”
Rage tore through me as the reality of her accusation hit me, but I wasn’t angry at her. I was angry with myself. Had my insistence of speed caused corners to be cut? Were workers being careless because they were afraid of falling behind and incurring my wrath?
I looked down at Zoey as she prattled on in an attempt to backtrack from what she’d said, but I wasn’t listening to her words. I didn’t need her apologies or explanations. She was right. I was the captain, and I was responsible for what happened on my ship, even if it was a station under construction that I was dying to get off.
I’d put my selfish desire to return to Inferno Force above all else, and that had put the station, and everyone on it, at risk. Even if I hadn’t dropped the beam that had almost crushed Serge and Zoey, my actions might have created the chain reaction that did. The cold realization settled in my gut like a stone, along with the certainty that the thought of Zoey getting hurt terrified me more than anything else.
“Zoey,” I said, my voice hoarse as I attempted to interrupt her. “Stop talking.”
She did stop but only to suck in a breath. “You can’t tell me to stop talking. Not when I was trying to apologize for blaming you—”
I desperately needed her to stop talking so I could tell her that she was right, and I was wrong, but the only way I could think of stopping her mouth from moving was crushing my own to it.
Chapter Ten
Zoey
I was so startled by Kalex kissing me that I didn’t even attempt to push him off me. Not when his lips were so soft, yet firm, as they moved hungrily against mine. It had been so long since I’d been kissed that I’d forgotten the heady rush as he backed me up against my closed door, his body pressing urgently into mine.
Heat arrowed through me, and I lifted my hands to brace them against his chest. I didn’t want to push him away, I wanted to feel more of him. My fingers bumped across the sash of medals that crossed his chest, the curve of his hard muscles beneath making me moan, my body surrendering to the sensations as my mind overloaded.
Then, just as suddenly as he’d started, Kalex pulled away from me. His eyes were wild as he looked down at me, his gaze roaming from my eyes to my lips and then down to the floor.
“I…I’m sorry.” And with those barely husked out words, he staggered away from me and down the corridor.
I stood completely still after he left, breathing heavily and staring down the deserted hallway. Touching my fingertips to my lips, I blew out a breath. “What the fuck was that?”
I didn’t know if I was more shocked that the captain of the station—the gruff Inferno Force warrior who’d rather argue with me than breathe—had kissed me or that I hadn’t minded. Hadn’t minded was an understatement. I’d liked being kissed by him. Really liked it.
I shook my head in a vain attempt to rid myself of the buzzy high from his kiss and glanced down the hallway again before swiping my hand over the door panel. At least no one had witnessed my serious lapse in judgment. That was good. And from the way Kalex had looked at me as he’d backed away, I wasn’t the only one who thought it was a serious slip-up.
“Not that I was the one who started it,” I muttered to myself as I stepped back inside my quarters. No, that had been all Kalex. My stomach did a somersault as I thought about how insistently he’d claimed my mouth and how his body had pressed dominantly into mine. As an independent woman, I should not have liked how confidently he’d kissed me, not even asking before laying claim to me. But as much as that shouldn’t make my pulse quicken, it did.
As soon as I was inside, my gaze went to the photo of Theo, and my stomach lurched. How had I not thought about him once while Kalex was kissing me? Guilt washed over me along with hot shame that burned its way up my neck to my cheeks.
I’d been engaged to Theo, for fuck’s sake. I’d loved him and had planned to spend the rest of my life with him, but one kiss from Kalex had forced all thoughts of him from my brain. I sank onto my bed, flopping back and draping an arm over my eyes.
Maybe Nina was right. Maybe I was using the memory of Theo to protect myself, and it was making me starved for affection. If a kiss from Kalex—who was th
e absolute last person I could ever imagine falling for—got me so worked up, I was in bad shape.
The beeping at the door made me sit up. Crap. Had he come back? I stood and flicked my fingers through my short hair before remembering there was nothing to do to it. My heart pounded as I crossed to the door, mentally bracing myself for Kalex to storm into my suite and sweep me into his arms. Part of me wanted it so much I could hardly breathe.
I opened the door, expecting the Drexian to stride forcefully inside. Instead, Serge swept by me in a flurry of fluttering hands.
“I’m so glad I found you, sweetie.”
I managed to recover from the second shock of the past few minutes, spinning around as he clomped across the room in what appeared to be a purple robe edged with fur. “What are you doing here?”
He paused in front of my long, white dresser and turned to face me. “I couldn’t sleep, and when I can’t sleep, I always work.”
“Are you wearing a bathrobe?” I asked.
He granted me a withering look. “It’s a dressing gown, darling, and I didn’t want to change for a quick jaunt down the hall.”
I reminded myself that Serge had suffered a significant shock when I’d tackled him, and the beam had crashed down only a few feet away. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to have trouble sleeping after a near-death experience. It also made some strange sense that he’d want to reach out to me since I’d shared the experience with him.
“Why don’t I get both of us a drink?” I headed for the kitchenette tucked into the corner of the room that I used mainly for cocktail prep. On the way, I flipped Theo’s photo face down. I wasn’t in any mood to spill my guts to Serge about my deceased fiancé.
“I’m not much of a drinker,” he said, as he followed me and took one of the chairs in the sunken sitting area. “Gatazoids don’t hold our liquor very well. If you think my hair turns pink when I’m upset, you should see it if I drink too much.”
“I’ll make yours light on the booze.” I pulled two rocks glasses from an inset cabinet and splashed a small amount of Cressidian gin in one and a much larger amount in the other. I topped the green liquid with a splash of tonic water and then reached into the small, cooling unit below the counter and retrieved an ice bucket, plopping a couple of perfectly square cubes into the glasses.
I handed Serge his drink and took the chair next to him. He eyed it before taking a tentative sip. After swallowing, he smiled at me. “I’ve never been in your quarters before. It’s nice.” He pursed his lips slightly. “Spartan, but nice.”
I’d hardly call my suite spartan, but it did feature mostly neutrals and few personal touches. I could only imagine how colorful and ornate Serge’s quarters were.
“So, you said you couldn’t sleep,” I prodded after taking a swig of my own drink.
“That’s right. And if I can’t sleep, I work.”
“Not a bad solution. I take it the work didn’t go well either, if you’re here with me.”
“This is my work,” he said, leaning forward. “I realized that I can’t just start matching you up willy-nilly.”
I let out a breath. “Good, because I wanted to tell you—”
“I need to know much more about you before I can find your ideal mate.” He took another teensy sip of his drink. “I’m here to get a full picture of Zoey and what kind of man she wants.” He hesitated. “If it’s men you like, that is.”
“I do like men,” I said.
Serge sat back and beamed at me. “Good. That does make my job easier, since my pool of mates to choose from happens to be all Drexian males.” He stroked his purple fur collar with one hand. “Now you should know that Drexians are more traditional than some human males. That being said, I’ve seen even the most dominant Drexian turn to putty with their human mate.”
“Serge,” I said, before he cut me off with another wave of his hand.
“Of course, I can’t imagine you’d put up with an overly bossy man. You’ve got such spunk.” He twitched both his shoulders. “No, I need to find you a Drexian who likes a more assertive female. Perhaps one of the science officers. What’s your opinion on brainy boys?”
I hid behind my glass as Serge continued talking without waiting for me to answer. I had no interest in being matched with a Drexian warrior, but Kalex’s kiss had shown me that I did want something. It was just that the something didn’t include dates or commitment or emotional attachment. I was in no way ready for the type of matching that Serge was suggesting—the kind that ended in a wedding and a fantasy suite and lots of Drexian-human babies.
I couldn’t handle the thought of dating, but if Kalex’s kiss has told me one thing it was that I desperately needed to get laid. I knew without asking that Serge would be scandalized by the notion. His world involved matches that were made to last, not trysts that were fun and fleeting.
No, if I wanted no-strings-attached, hot-and heavy sex with no chance of emotional attachment, there was only one person I could think about who’d fit the bill. From everything he’d ever said, I knew Kalex was counting the days until he left the station and returned to his Inferno Force posting, so there was no chance he’d want something more serious. Besides, there was zero chance I’d fall for a guy I usually wanted to strangle.
“This is so exciting,” Serge said, when he finally stopped for breath.
I thought about Kalex and his possessive kiss that had curled my toes. “Isn’t it?”
Chapter Eleven
Kalex
I thunked the heavy glass down onto the bar. “Another.”
“You know I’m not technically a bartender,” Vekron said from the stool next to me, picking up the bottle of Noovian whiskey and splashing some of the green liquid into my glass.
I cut my eyes around the officer’s lounge, which had been designed to mimic the one on the Boat. A wide, floor-to-ceiling window overlooked space, the blackness outside only matched only by the glossy, ebony bar that stretched along one wall, and the matching tables scattered on dark-gray carpeting. Unlike the lounge on the Boat, this one wasn’t officially in service yet, although there was a significant amount of liquor stashed underneath the bar.
There was no background music, or candles flickering on tables, and most importantly, no bartender to sling drinks. Despite these obvious drawbacks, it was still the best place for a Drexian warrior to drink in peace. And right now, I needed to drink.
“You’ll do,” I told Vekron, swiveling to face him as I lifted my glass in an unsteady salute.
The Drexian pulled his hair from its high topknot, and let it fall around his face. “I still don’t know why we’re drinking in the dark.”
“It’s not dark.” I waved a hand at the dim, ambient lighting glowing from high in the recessed ceiling.
He lifted his own glass, clinking it against mine before taking a sip. “And you’re sure we can’t take this back to your quarters?”
I shook my head. If I returned to my quarters, Zoey might be able to track me down, and I wasn’t prepared to face her or the consequences of what I’d done. I rubbed my wrinkled brow and groaned. What had I done?
You forced yourself on her and pressed her up against a wall.
Even saying the words in my head made my face burn with shame. I wouldn’t be surprised if she reported me, and I was removed from my position as captain. It was nothing I didn’t deserve.
I slammed back the whiskey, grateful for the pain as it scorched my throat and forced a gasp from my lips. I’d lost all control and given in to my basest urges, something that a Drexian warrior could never do—not even a member of Inferno Force with a fondness for Felaris pleasurers.
But it wasn’t the memory of Felaris twins that filled my mind with an erotic haze. It was the memory of Zoey’s mouth moving beneath mine, her breathy moan needy as she pressed her hands against my chest. No matter how much whiskey I drank, I couldn’t purge that sound from my mind. Not that I wished to. The feel of her moving against me was a sensation I neve
r wanted to forget, even it meant I left the Island in disgrace.
“It can’t be so bad.” Vekron eyed the glass I’d emptied yet again. “So, we might not make the original end date. It isn’t the end of the world.”
“I’m not drinking because of potential construction delays. Why does everyone think I’m obsessed with the timeline?”
Vekron choked out a laugh. “Because it’s all you talk about.”
I grumbled at this. Did everyone think I was preoccupied with the construction schedule? I knew I didn’t want to know the answer to that, so I changed the subject. “Did you know there was an accident on the promenade today while I was on the fly-around with Jax?”
“I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it.” His mouth twitched into a half smile. “It’s hard to miss when Serge has a meltdown, no matter where you are on the station.”
“It wasn’t only Serge who was in danger,” I said, my words slurring a bit as I spoke. “Zoey risked her life to save him.”
“That sounds about right. Our astro-architect is pretty fearless. She’d have to be, considering the number of times she’s had to face you down.”
I shot him a dark look. “She shouldn’t have put herself in danger like that. It’s not like she’s trained for battle like we are.”
Vekron shrugged. “You don’t have to have military training to be brave. I’ve always gotten the feeling that Zoey’s pretty tough for a civilian.”
“I still don’t like it.” I clenched my glass tighter. “I need to find out how the accident happened and make sure our safety standards aren’t slipping, even if it means we don’t make our deadlines.”
Vekron let out a low whistle. “I can’t say I disagree with you, although I’m shocked you’re the one saying this and not me. You care to tell me what changed?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “But this is the first accident we’ve had on site, and I don’t want there to be another.”
He nodded, but still looked at me suspiciously. “And that’s why you’re drinking? You’re worried about safety?”
