Bound by Fate

by Maddie Taylor

  “I’m not even going to ask,” she said into the collar of her coat when he slid in on the driver’s side.

  “I’ll tell you anyway. Irish is short for Irish whiskey, a potent liquor that will put a fire in your belly and a blush on your cheeks. Tonight, I plan to have them add a healthy splash of Irish cream, too. It’s colder than a witch’s—” Mike stopped abruptly and shot her a chagrined look. “Let’s just say it’s freezing, eh?”

  Mike Shaughnessy was the owner of an excavating company and one of Beck’s subcontractors. She’d met him while out with Beck months earlier. He’d explained his men went in to clear and grade the land prior to building.

  “How is that different than what BRK does?” she’d asked.

  “Beck does small potatoes on already fairly graded lots. We tackle the man-sized jobs, which was, and still is, the majority of the planet. You won’t find my giant equipment inside the city. We’d tear up Beck’s pretty new asphalt. We’re out in the wild, running auto loaders, bin tippers, elevators, ram loaders, crushers, shredders, conveyors, not to mention the dozers, backhoes, and giant dump trucks. You name it, we got it, and we’re not afraid to use it.”

  Her translator couldn’t decipher half of what he said, but Beck had found it hilarious and, while he’d laughed loud enough to turn heads, Mike had saluted him then bowed gallantly over her hand, and, with a grin on his attractive face, including the brown spots some humans called freckles, he sauntered out of the bar like the self-proclaimed excavation badass he was.

  Tonight, his hubris, which she suspected was mostly bluster, was subdued, though he was no less friendly and talkative. He slowed the vehicle and came to a stop outside the clinic door. Then he peered through the window. “Are you sure you want off here? It looks closed up tight for the night, lass.”

  “I was hoping it would be. When I couldn’t relax at home, I thought I’d come in while it was quiet and catch up on some work.” She was becoming adept at fibs, which wasn’t a skill she’d ever tried to hone.

  “Do you want me to come back in a few hours and take you home? They’re calling for storms tonight. We could get dumped on.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “With snow. If the temperature is right when it starts, it could be several inches by morning.”

  “Thank you, but one of the warriors will see me safely home if I call.”

  This was true, but she didn’t dare ask. If word got to Remus or Tarus that she’d gone out after they’d had her tucked in, she’d get a blistering earful and be on the next ship to Primaria so fast she wouldn’t have time to beg and plead for a second chance. She could hardly tell them to take her to Beck’s at such a late hour, and they’d never leave her alone with him to say what she had to say or to do what she wanted more than anything to do.

  Yes, after she begged his forgiveness for jumping to conclusions and down his throat, she planned to ask if they could go back to how they were before it had all gone wrong.

  Mike could drive her, he’d offered to come back and pick her up, except she barely knew him. He seemed nice and had a good sense of humor, but she didn’t know if he would keep a confidence. She’d noticed human males and warriors had something in common; they were shameless gossips. While she’d deny it to her dying breath, news of her late-night visit would make the rounds, and her reputation would be tarnished. She didn’t want that. So, she sent her neighbor off with a wave, after deactivating the door alarm and switching on the lights because he waited for her to do so before leaving. Yeah, he was a nice man. Then she waited until his vehicle lights had faded, locked the door she’d just unlocked then took off to her real destination, BRK, Inc.

  When she arrived, she found the double gate up front locked. Adria eyed the eight-foot fence but quickly decided against climbing it and was glad of her decision when she located a smaller side gate open. She carefully navigated through the crowded enclosure, steering clear of the huge heavy equipment—hoists, giant soil movers, something with a huge claw for digging, and one with a large heavy cylinder, wider than she was tall, which would assuredly flatten everything in its path. She also skirted piles of materials, including stacks of the eight-inch heavy metal girders like the one she’d balanced on to save Ray. She still couldn’t believe she’d done that.

  Everything here was alien to her. At home, the capital had been built over a century ago. Their history books told the stories of hundreds of men using large slabs of dense stone toiling for years to finish the construction. The end result durable, aesthetically pleasing buildings that required very little upkeep. They used the same tried-and-true techniques now, except with a few modern advancements to assist with the heavy lifting. As she edged around one of the giant bulldozers, she wondered, not for the first time, why Beck hadn’t acquired some of the Primarian technology. It would certainly move things along, and they didn’t have time to spare.

  Instead of stone, they used forged steel and sheetrock, which she’d learned wasn’t rock at all. And rather than practically indestructible river rock hand laid for roads, they used layers of gravel topped with hot, sticky smelly tar to hold it together. She knew this firsthand because a crew had paved the side street by the clinic earlier that day, and the odor lingered. This was smashed down with the big cylinder. The single paved road of three months ago had expanded to a network of thoroughfares and side streets. A much quicker method than laying stone, it was better than the sunbaked ruts that turned ankles and the river of mud the rains created, but the black stuff wasn’t much to look at.

  She had to remember they were creating a society for humans, not a second Primaria and, with the Earth and its people in dire straits, speed and efficiency in building was the priority, not beauty.

  Behind the equipment yard was the supply house and, past that, an office. Both were sizeable, but neither compared to the enormous enclosure. Adria walked all the way to the rear until she saw the sign for BRK Construction, which marked the entrance to the office doubling as Beck’s temporary home.

  A light came on as she approached. Startled, she lurched to a halt.

  She must be crazy coming here at this time of night, but it was the only time she could be assured of finding him alone. In private was the only way she could properly apologize for rudely poking him in the chest, telling him to get out of her life—she actually felt sick when she thought of that—for calling him by his last name in a disrespectful tone, and running repeatedly. Her behavior was appalling, and not like her at all. In private was the only way to find out if she’d done irreparable harm to their friendship or if there was any hope for them to return to what they had three months ago.

  Would he still want her, or had he given his heart to the pretty blonde? Eryn and Eva didn’t recognize the woman from her description, and, without a name, she had no way of finding out more about her.

  He’d said he wasn’t about relationships and had sworn never to marry again. Was the blonde a lover, the same as Adria would have been? That stung. Not that he’d had other women. Successful, influential, and extremely attractive, women probably threw themselves at him. But it hurt to be grouped with the lot of them when she felt so much more for him. From the first day, he’d stirred a fire within her, but that wasn’t all. Of the males she’d met, only he made her think of a future, and something she thought out of her reach, a happily ever after.

  No strings, he’d declared, but something inside told her for the right woman, he could be swayed. Was that her, or the female in the park? If she’d been wrong, and he only offered a brief interlude in his arms, would that be enough for her?

  The door to his modular office swung open. Between the light behind him and the one by the door near his head, she couldn’t see his face. Still, from the tall frame, broad shoulders, and lean hips, she knew it was Beck.

  “You gotta decide, darlin’,” he drawled. “Either come in and say what you came here to say or skedaddle home. And you gotta do it soon ’cause there’s a storm coming.”

/>   As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance.

  “Now, you’ve got no choice,” he declared before he went back in, leaving the door open.

  She stood frozen in indecision, but also savoring the sensations his deep voice evoked, how it slid over her skin, as smooth as imported Thasi silk, and awakening her desire just like before.

  A chill wind blew, freezing her already cold cheeks, and penetrated the thickness of her coat. She held it closed as she looked up at the sky, the gray clouds so low it seemed she could reach up and touch them. A snowflake landed on her cheek and another on her eyelashes as the thunder rolled again. This got her feet moving.

  After living on the colony for a year, Beck knew what he was talking about. By the time she reached the stairs, huge flakes were peppering down. She turned to watch the cascade from the doorway. A layer of white already covered the grass lining the walkway up to the office.

  “It’s freezing, Adria. Close the door and come in and get warm.”

  Like it or not, it seemed she was stuck here for the duration. She didn’t relish walking several blocks in the blowing snow. And, ready or not, she might as well get the apology she owed him out of the way first.

  Taking a deep breath, her “I’m sorry” was on the tip of her tongue when she turned to face him, but his face wasn’t what she saw. Mere inches away, a wide expanse of bare skin stretched taut over defined muscle. Instead of the smoothness of a Primarian male, Beck’s chest was covered with a light dusting of hair. Immediately, her fingers itched as she could think of nothing except running her fingers through the golden-brown whorls.

  Then, he touched her. His hand curled beneath her chin and he angled her face up to his. She couldn’t contain a shiver when those artic-blue eyes connected with hers.

  By the Maker, he was gorgeous. But he wasn’t exactly overjoyed to see her.

  “You’re shivering,” he observed sharply. “Where is your hat? You also need a scarf and mittens in this weather.” He looked at her feet. “Are those cloth sneakers? You need waterproof boots in the snow. In case you haven’t noticed, the weather has changed from the sweltering jungle conditions we were suffering through when you left.”

  She shook her head, her tongue pretty much malfunctioning before she realized being chilled from the rain would have been a plausible excuse for her trembling.

  “Are you all right?”

  This time she nodded, though she was the polar opposite of all right. And she knew from the twitch of his lips, it was showing.

  “Is there a reason you’re at my door after dark, alone?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. “I wanted to see you.”

  He dropped his hands and spread both arms wide. “Here I am. What’s this about?”

  “I...um...” She snapped her mouth shut to end her stuttering. Then inhaled through her nose to steady her nerves. This only made matters worse. With him so close, she breathed in his scent, a mixture of soap, sweat, and leather, which had to be from the fingerless gloves he was wearing. None of it was an unpleasant. Quite the opposite, in fact, and she found it intensely arousing.

  Her eyes snapped to his gloves then over his bare upper torso, noticing, for the first time, the sheen of perspiration on his skin. Her gaze darted around the room, searching for the pretty blonde. “Did I interrupt something?”

  “Yes. I was just finishing a workout.”

  A wave of relief crashed over her. Then, to cover her reaction, she asked, inanely, “You, um, don’t get enough exercise working construction all day?”

  He moved away with his back to her. Like his front, his skin glistened, but was silky smooth. She curled her fingers into her palms to keep from running her hands over the rippling, bunching muscles. Instead, she watched them dance as he stripped off his gloves and dropped them on a nearby table.

  “My time lately has been consumed by council meetings, planning meetings, design meetings, and a host of other meetings, which doesn’t keep a man fit or burn off excess energy. Among other things.”

  “Oh,” she replied lamely as he turned to face her once again.

  Like the day of Ray’s rescue, when he lectured her about her recklessness, his fists settled on his hips. “What’s the real reason you’re here, Adria? I thought you made your feelings clear when you practically trampled a row of concert goers to get away from me.”

  “About that.” Her gaze dropped to her hands, which, unbeknownst to her until that moment, she’d been wringing. She forced them to her sides before continuing. “I was angry, Beck. I thought you were responsible for sending me home.”

  “You said as much when you accosted me not thirty yards from here. If it’s a rehashing of that you’re after, I’ll take a pass.”

  “No, I learned, after seeing you in Ariad, that Ellar and Trask, well, mostly my overprotective brother, were to blame.”

  “You left someone out who is very much at fault in this.”

  She stared at him, as she considered who, and his brows shot up in disbelief.

  “You mean me!” she exclaimed. “Well, yes, of course, I am at fault more so than anyone. I jumped to a conclusion and wrongly gave you the brunt of my anger. I’m truly sorry for that, Beck.”

  He gave her an assessing stare that dragged on long enough she fidgeted before he inclined his head in acknowledgement, but his next words told her he wasn’t ready to fully accept her apology. “Prettily put, but you didn’t learn a damn thing while you were away, did you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re out alone after dark in foul weather. This isn’t Ariad where everyone knows you and looks out for you. Terra Nova is still very much an untamed frontier. We haven’t exactly nailed down law and order yet. There have been explosions, thefts, and three murders. There were other minor disturbances while you were away.”

  “What kind of disturbances? I hadn’t heard.”

  “Mostly fights among idiots who’d had too much to drink, but we’ve grown forty times in number since you left, and I expect the problems will keep pace. We still rely on a contingent of your warriors for security because the military personnel who have arrived to date are needed to help us prepare for the next wave of permanent residents. Things are far from safe here, Adria.”

  She raised her chin, heat instilling her cheeks. “I know that, Beck. Believe me.”

  “Do you? Where are your guards? I heard that was a condition of your return.”

  “I, uh...”

  “You snuck off without them, didn’t you? Dammit, Adria.”

  “I didn’t sneak off,” she shot back in irritation.

  He folded his brawny arms over his chest, one tawny brow arched in disbelief.

  “Tarus escorted me home hours ago. I told him I was in for the night. I thought I was, but I needed to tell you something.”

  He waited and, when she didn’t speak, moved in closer.

  “What’s so important you put your pert little ass on the line and walked across town at midnight in the frigid cold?”

  Why was he making this so hard?

  “This was a mistake. I’m going home.”

  “Not alone you aren’t.”

  She glared at him when what she really wanted to do was smack him.

  “Out with it, Adria,” he demanded. “Why are you here?”

  “Because I missed you, all right? More than I ever thought I would. After I learned the truth, I wanted to apologize immediately and smooth things over between us, but you’d already left. I’d hoped we could pick up where we left off.” She threw up her hands. “Obviously, I was wrong about that, like so many other things. You’re still angry, not to mention acting like a big fat jerk!”

  Glaring up at him, she saw his surprise at her admission. Though she wasn’t sure if it was the sentiment or the name calling.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but where we left off was you calling me an unevolved brulla—whatever that is. From your tone, I didn’t take it as a compliment. This coming after you read me
the riot act for something I didn’t do, in front of an audience. It seems you have a double standard. My dirty laundry can be aired in public, but your unmentionables require privacy.”

  “I’m... I didn’t... I meant before that. Back to my apartment the night the tunnels collapsed.”

  “I see,” he stated tersely after a protracted pause. “You came alone so your warrior guards wouldn’t guess your intent, or interfere with us finishing on my couch what was started on yours. Or did you think of that as a bonus after your apology?”

  She decided honesty might serve her best and admitted, “I hoped we could do both.”

  “Kind of a quid pro quo. You kiss my ass, so I’ll kiss yours in return—literally?”

  This wasn’t going well at all. “I suppose,” she admitted. “Though I wouldn’t have used such vulgar terms.”

  “Why the hell not?” he bit out, plainly incensed. “In fact, why not call this what it is—a midnight booty call.”

  “I don’t know what that is.”

  “You came here for sex, Adria. Admit it.”

  She couldn’t lie. She hoped it would lead to that, but her primary intent was to apologize first. “I wanted to reconcile things between us.”

  With their argument escalating, she’d stopped wringing her hands and averting her gaze, so she didn’t miss when the telltale muscle jumped in his clenched jaw. Self-preservation instincts had her retreating a step.

  “I should go. You’re angry.”

  “Ya think?”

  She took another backward pace. Unfortunately, Beck followed.

  “If you no longer want me in that way, I understand,” she offered, though her heart was breaking. “But I’d hoped to still be friends, at least.”

  How had she misread the situation so badly? He’d been calm when he answered the door.

  “You’re not getting it, Adria. I thought there was more between us than friendship, and for damn sure didn’t think the intimate, tender moments we shared would lead to this. If all I wanted was sex, I could have had it from you the first night.”

  She stiffened. “Don’t turn this ugly by being insulting.”