Nightchaser

by Amanda Bouchet

  “I’m going to punish you for this,” he told her through gritted teeth. His lust had died a cold death, and it was all he could do just to move.

  “Switch!” Tess yelled out.

  They waltzed in a circle, and she gasped when the water hit her head. She got the shampoo out of her hair, scrubbed her face with her hands, and then jumped back out and grabbed the soap.

  Shade rinsed his hair and quickly exited the stream of death while Tess rinsed off, shivering, her nipples hard peaks, and her teeth chattering audibly. He soaped up like a madman, she got out of the way, and he started to rinse off just as the countdown began, a tinny electronic voice announcing that the tank would run out in five, four, three, two, one…

  The water stopped.

  Shade stood there, dripping wet, covered in goose bumps, his shoulders hunched in, and his cock the smallest it had ever been. Tess was in so much trouble right now.

  He growled. “You are—”

  He stopped talking when she grinned. Her reddish-brown hair was slicked back, and her freckles stood out in her pale face. She looked at him through dark lashes spiked with moisture, her brilliant-blue eyes glittering like the brightest of stars and blinding him to everything but her light.

  “—fucking adorable,” he finished, smiling back.

  Tess jumped into his arms, all naked, cold, and wet.

  He swept them both out of the cubicle of doom and then reached for the towel he saw hanging on the wall. He rubbed Tess dry, quickly swiping the cold drops off her skin and then making a mess of her hair as he scrubbed her head extra hard in payback for the torture he’d just endured. She laughed, batting his hands away.

  “Detail your water situation for me, Captain,” he demanded, turning the damp towel on himself.

  Fuck, that was cold.

  She answered as she ran her fingers through her hair, shaking it out. “One four-minute and ten-second tank for showers. It takes two days for the water to recycle and clean itself. Another slightly smaller tank for sinks and laundry.”

  Shade gaped at her. “That’s it?”

  Tess nodded. “Water’s expensive. So are tanks.”

  “And none of it heats?”

  She shook her head.

  He’d been taking care of the minimums of personal hygiene on his cruiser—with water that quickly and easily heated up. It wasn’t equipped for showers, though.

  “Clothes get cleaner with warm water,” he said, glancing at their discarded apparel.

  “Cold gets rid of blood,” she answered with a shrug.

  She said it so matter-of-factly, like such is the rebel’s life.

  Shade frowned. He wasn’t sure how much blood he could stand to see her lose. None already seemed like enough.

  “Does this fold sell tanks and water?” he asked, herding her into the bedroom.

  “The Fold,” she corrected over her shoulder. “And yes.”

  “Permission to make a few changes to the system?” He grabbed a big sweater off the foot of Tess’s bed and dropped it over her head.

  She wiggled into it, getting her arms through the sleeves and pulling her hair free from the neck. “Permission granted.”

  “Permission to get on your bed?” He gently tugged her right over to the edge of it.

  Her cheeks flushed a gorgeous pink. “Permission granted,” she said again, her eyes dipping over his naked body as she reached for him, her fingers feathering against his waist.

  Shade captured her hand, his skin jumping at her cold touch. “Oh, no you don’t.” He pulled back the covers on what was really a one-person bed, making a curled-up Bonk lift his head. Still freezing, Shade got in and guided Tess down next to him. When they were curved together like spoons, he covered them both up.

  She went still in his arms. “Shade?”

  He gripped her tighter and then threw his leg over hers, embracing his inner caveman when it came to pinning her down. That would suffice for now. Later, he’d use other methods to get her underneath him and keep her there.

  “I need to recover from that ordeal you call a shower,” he grumbled. “And you’re tired. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

  It wasn’t something he could see from behind her, but he thought she smiled. There was a change in her body language that gave it away, even though she didn’t say anything or turn around.

  Settling in, Shade nuzzled the back of her neck, inhaling the scent of her damp hair and clean skin. Tess sank into him, relaxing against his chest in a way that sent satisfaction blazing through him.

  Holding her as tightly as he dared, he rubbed a lazy thumb back and forth over her stomach. It must have soothed her, because Tess fell asleep fast. A few minutes later, Bonk picked his way over Shade’s thigh, angling for a spot in between Tess and him. He wasn’t about to let that happen, and the tabby finally gave up and went back to where he’d been before, warming Shade’s back. Bonk started purring, his paws pressing into Shade’s shoulder. Knead, knead, prick.

  Shade was worn out like he’d rarely been before, but he didn’t want to close his eyes just yet. As he lay there in between Tess and Bonk, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. The last time a similar feeling had barreled through him, he’d been young and cared for, with loving parents and what he’d thought was an easy future ahead. Now, he wanted to be the provider, the protector, but nothing about the future looked easy to him.

  There were a thousand differences, but the core of the feeling remained the same: family.

  He just hoped Tess felt it, too.

  Finally giving in to fatigue, Shade let Bonk push against his shoulder and cradled Tess as she slept.

  Chapter 32

  Shade was asleep. His breathing was deep and even, his body relaxed. He was nice and warm now, and I didn’t move, not wanting to wake him up.

  I let him rest, leaving my thoughts to carry me away. After an hour of lying there nestled against his warmth and strength, my imagination had taken me all over—to some places we’d already been together, and to a whole bunch of others I still wanted to explore with Shade.

  Desire coiled low in my belly, and I started to ache for his touch.

  To hell with it; he could sleep later. I turned in his arms.

  Shade opened his eyes as I half sat up and pulled off my sweater.

  His lips parted. “Excellent choice of wake-up,” he murmured in a gravelly voice.

  I nudged him onto his back and eased on top of him. His hands found my waist and then skimmed up my bare ribs.

  I kissed him hungrily, licking and nibbling his bottom lip. “I’m dying to feel you inside me again.”

  His expression sharpened. All trace of sleepiness vanished from his eyes, and he flipped us over, his gaze turning hot.

  Disturbed by the sudden movement in the narrow space, Bonk jumped off the bed—probably for the best.

  Shade looked down at me, his arms caging my head and his legs between mine. I slowly drew my knees up.

  “Clean or dirty?” he asked, his voice dropping so low it sank right into me and teased my sex. “Slow or fast?”

  Heat unfurled between my legs as tiny muscles clenched. “Do I have to pick just one?”

  Shade chuckled. He dipped his head, his mouth brushing my cheek in a slow caress of a kiss. In my ear, he whispered, “That’s my Tess.”

  The possessive affection in his voice sent pleasure fluttering through me. “You mean your Captain,” I teased.

  “In bed, I steer the ship.” A mischievous glint lit his eyes when they met mine again.

  My mouth twitched. “Is that so?”

  He nodded. “I have to press all sorts of complicated buttons. You’re the copilot. All you need to do is grab the handle and pull.”

  I burst out laughing. “Like this?” I asked, snaking my hand between our bodies.
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br />   His hips shifted away from my questing fingers. “Careful, baby. That’s a delicate instrument. No replacement parts available.”

  Still smiling, I reached for his hard length again and gave it a gentle stroke from base to tip.

  “Believe me”—I lifted my head and sucked on his earlobe—“it’s in my best interest to not damage the tools.”

  Shade’s husky laugh turned into a groan when I stroked him again, squeezing this time. He rocked into my hand. Our eyes met, and the need I saw in his gaze was like a gravitational pull, drawing me in, body and soul.

  Angling my hips up, I guided him inside me. Shade’s broad shoulders bunched with tension, and a slight vibration rolled down his back. Even after an hour of working myself up in my head, he still had to push his way in slowly. I was so hot and throbbing that I wanted him to move faster and satisfy the ache inside me, but I was also—

  “So tight,” Shade muttered, sounding pained.

  I tilted my head back on an exhale when he stopped, finally seated fully within me. My body adjusted to him quickly.

  “I want to do this every day,” I said.

  “Baby, we can do this ten times a day, upside down, tangled up, and hanging from the ceiling if you want.”

  I smiled. All that sounded promising.

  He flexed his hips back and then thrust deep between my legs. I gasped. It felt so good. He did it again, harder, and stars burst behind my lids.

  Shade lowered his head and kissed me so completely that I almost couldn’t breathe. “Tied up. Tied down. Blindfolded. Hands and knees. Whatever the fuck you want,” he said, pumping into me with each promise.

  The possibilities flashed before me. So much to explore. I started to pant and writhe, arching into sensations that were building almost too quickly. I chased them, greedy, even though I wanted this to last.

  Shade thrust harder, his movements less controlled now. I rose up to meet him, matching his pace and driving him on.

  I whispered his name. Shade groaned mine. I locked my legs around his waist and gripped his back. He was sweat-slicked and trembling and so hard inside me that he felt like hot steel and smooth rock.

  “Not gonna last, baby,” he said. “Not when you’re so wild and hot.”

  I grabbed his short hair and pulled.

  “Yes…” He panted against my neck.

  Shade shifted his weight to one arm and then palmed my breast. The pad of his thumb found my nipple, and he pressed, the steady pressure traveling straight to my core and tightening the quivering muscles there. Abruptly, he gathered the taut bead between his fingers and pinched. I yelled and came like a nuclear blast.

  Shade followed me over the edge, his hips moving in hard jerks. The tension in our bodies slowly unraveled, and we sank into the mattress together, both of us breathing hard.

  “Holy Sky Mother,” he finally mumbled. “I think you wiped me out.”

  I laughed. “I hope not. You promised we could do that again.”

  He grinned, lifting some of his weight off me. I pulled him back down, enjoying the press of him against my skin.

  Shade gave in to my unspoken demand while still making sure he didn’t crush me. “I would suggest another shower after that, but there’s no fucking way I’m going through that again.”

  I clamped my lips together, trying to keep my smile to a minimum. I probably should have warned him about that.

  “May I have permission to make another change, Captain?” Shade asked.

  Warmth swirled through me. “Permission to ask, Bedroom Captain.”

  The corners of his mouth curled up. “Does this fold have a mattress that would fit both of us?”

  My heart fluttered a little wildly. “The Fold has everything.”

  Shade rolled over, dragging me mostly on top of him and trying to keep us both comfortable on my narrow bed. His hand swept down my back and stayed on the curve of my bottom.

  “Then how about a bed for two?” he quietly asked.

  I lifted my head, something clenching in my chest.

  The brown eyes searching my face darkened with sudden hesitation. “I don’t want to assume…”

  I leaned forward and kissed him. “Spoil me. I’m game.”

  The words blood money popped into my head, but I pushed them aside.

  “Good.” Shade gave my rear end a light squeeze.

  His touch stirred sensations that were still alive inside me, and I almost told him I was game for more right now, but Shade looked exhausted.

  “What’s that secret smile about?” he asked, his eyes narrowing on me.

  “Nothing.” I kissed him again. “Just rest.”

  He grunted a little suspiciously but then got comfortable with me beside him, relaxing like a man utterly ready for sleep. I threw my leg over his, making sure he didn’t go anywhere. Or fall off the bed.

  A secret sort of smile suddenly curved his lips.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing, cavewoman. Go to sleep.”

  “Cavewoman?”

  Still smiling, Shade didn’t explain, and I hmphed, letting it go.

  A moment later, Bonk jumped back onto the bed. He took the spot above our heads, commandeering most of the pillow. We both wiggled down, making room for him.

  “Make that a bed for three,” I said, not even remotely kidding.

  “Noted.” Shade kissed my temple, brushing his lips against my hair and skin and breathing me in.

  A contented sigh whispered out of me, and I closed my eyes, knowing I would easily drift back to sleep. Later was for dangerous serums, filling more blood bags, meeting with the rebel leaders, and facing what came next. Now was for Shade and me.

  Paws started kneading the top of my head. A little engine revved up.

  I smiled, revising my earlier thought. Now was for Shade, me, and, apparently, Bonk. Which was perfect.

  Epilogue

  The following day…

  My booted footsteps rang out loudly on the grated metal flooring of Spacedock 1, the innermost station of the Fold. Shade, Jax, Fiona, and Merrick strode next to me, turning us into a veritable chorus of thuds.

  I had five vials of the super soldier serum in my pack and a lead weight on my chest.

  Would the enhancer help us to even the odds? Maybe even give us an edge?

  Or would turning it over to the rebel leaders just send everything spiraling out of control?

  Nothing came without a cost. I just wondered who would be paying up.

  Possibly everyone.

  I glanced at Shade. He caught my eye and gave me a quick nod back. Reassuring. A little grim. He understood the stakes.

  Rebel Command Center loomed before us, blocked by a huge, guarded door I’d been through only twice before.

  Maybe we needed to lose control. Maybe that was what it would take to bring the Overseer down, not just be a thorn in his side.

  I figured we’d find out soon, because I was about to light the fuse on enough explosives to blow the galaxy apart.

  Acknowledgments

  This novel was so much fun to write, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of a fabulous group of people. Many thanks to my agent, Jill Marsal, to my editor, Cat Clyne, and to the whole team at Sourcebooks Casablanca for their talent and expertise.

  Readers, reviewers, bloggers, authors, and anyone who picks up my books or takes a moment to help spread the word about them—you’re the best, and I’m so grateful!

  I also couldn’t do this without my amazing family and some very dear friends. I’m so lucky to have the help and support of my husband and children, my parents and sister, and a great group of readers and writers that I’m privileged to know, including Callie Burdette, Lynn Latimer, Katerina Papasotiriou, Adriana Anders, Chelsea Mueller, Grace Draven, Jeffe Kennedy, Jennifer Estep,
and Darynda Jones. Your encouragement means the world to me. Thank you.

  About the Author

  Photo credit: Richard Beban

  Amanda Bouchet grew up in New England, where she spent much of her time tromping around in the woods and making up grand adventures in her head. It was inevitable that one day she would start writing them down. Drawing on her Greek heritage for the setting and on her love of all things daring and romantic for the rest, her debut trilogy, The Kingmaker Chronicles, took form. She writes what she loves to read: epic exploits, steamy romance, and characters that make you laugh and cry.

  A French master’s graduate and former English teacher, Amanda lives in Paris, France. She met her husband while studying abroad, and the family now includes two bilingual children who will soon be correcting her French.

  Amanda loves connecting with readers. Find her at:

  amandabouchet.com

  Facebook.com/AmandaBouchetAuthor

  Twitter: @AuthorABouchet

  Don’t miss the next book in Amanda Bouchet’s stellar Nightchaser series!

  Starbreaker

  “An out-of-this-world blend of sci-fi action and sizzling romance.”

  —JENNIFER ESTEP, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Kill the Queen

  Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan never intended to become heroes. But when Tess handed over the stolen goods, she may have given the rebel leaders the power to bring down Galactic Overseer Novalight and his oppressive regime. Now, revolution is in the wind and the galaxy on the brink of catastrophic war.

  Tess, Shade, and the remaining crew of the Endeavor are still the galaxy’s Most Wanted. With the Dark Watch—and every bounty hunter known to humankind—scouring the galaxy for them, the situation couldn’t be more desperate.

  The clock is ticking. As their attraction builds and secrets are revealed, Tess and Shade must decide if they trust each other enough to plan their next move together. They could change the course of history…or at least bring hot water to the showers aboard the Endeavor. They’ll just have to tackle one crisis at a time.