Dragons of Mars Box Set

by Leslie Chase

  Except that would mean abandoning Michael, she thought and cursed herself. Her brother needed her help, yes, but did her brain have to throw that in the way of an enjoyable fantasy? Way to spoil my escapism.

  Glancing into one of the ship's cabins, Ashley realized that wasn't the only thing wrong with the fantasy. She didn't want to vanish alone into the gulf between planets. In her imagination, Kosar was there too, standing by her side. She tried not to think about that, about him. It wasn't going to make her life any easier.

  Stupid brain, I can't be with him. He's the guy most likely to catch me as a spy. She shook her head. Why can't I fall for a guy I have a chance with, just this once?

  The thought wouldn't go away, though. The idea of drifting through space with him at her side was much more appealing than going home to Earth, even to live in luxury in the Protected Zones.

  The Grace of Herendar had once been a luxury yacht for a dragon noble, and the stateroom she looked into still had the furnishings for that. Including a gigantic bed, suitable for a dragon... and the thought of Kosar sharing it with her made Ashley's cheeks heat all over again. Swallowing, she turned away, looking for something to distract her from the fantasy.

  When she reached the bridge, it was a lot bigger than she'd expected. There was even a pit so big that it had to be for someone in dragon form to sit in, with controls shaped for gigantic talons. Ashley walked quietly amongst the ancient control stations, looking at the work that was being done to study it.

  She might not understand the crystal technology used here, but she could follow some of the repair work at least. Human technologies were spliced in among the crystals and holographic notes on how the systems functioned floating nearby. This had to be more satisfying work than the frustrations of the engine room, but then it was also easier. They didn't need to bring in an outside expert here, worse luck — she'd have enjoyed being part of this team. It was the kind of thing she could sink her teeth into.

  "What are you doing here?"

  The question caught her off guard, and Ashley jumped guiltily. It was stupid, she knew: she wasn't doing anything wrong, not here. But still her heart pounded with fear as she turned to look at Dr. Cooper, who stood in the doorway with a smug smile on his face.

  "I'm just looking around," she snapped at him, letting her anger rise to hide her guilt. "What's wrong with you, sneaking up on me like that?"

  "I don't need a reason to be checking on my work," he said, walking closer, his smile broadening and eyes gleaming. "And now I've found you here, sneaking away from your own work and looking through someone else's."

  "You're being ridiculous. Nothing in here's a secret. Or if it is, you really ought to label the doors." Ashley glared and stood her ground as he approached, putting her hands on her hips. She wasn't about to let him bully her into feeling guilty about this, not when she had so much other stuff to feel guilty about.

  "Ridiculous?" He stopped short of her, seeming to consider the problem. "I don't think so. You're not the expert you claim to be, are you? Your story doesn't add up. Don't worry though — I can help you."

  Crap. "What are you talking about?"

  "Come on, you don't need to lie to me," Cooper practically leered at her, resting a hand on the control panel beside her head. "You're the spy that thug Kosar's looking for, aren't you? Here to steal the fruits of my genius. Taking all my hard work. Well, now I've caught you snooping around where you don't belong. I knew I couldn't trust you from the beginning. If you don't want me to hand you over to security, you're going to have to make me very happy..."

  He trailed off with a leer that made Ashley's skin crawl. If I had to be caught by someone, did it have to be Cooper? The worst part of it was the way he made it all about him, his work, when he'd had nothing before she arrived.

  No, the worst part was the way he was looking at her. But his arrogance was second.

  "Back off," she told him, putting a hand on his chest to push him away. "You may think you're hot stuff, but you needed me to get any information out of the stardrive, didn't you? I'm helping you, so just accept that and get away from me. Or we'll see what Kosar has to say about this."

  The flash of anger across his leering face was frightening, but he did take a step back. That was a small mercy, though he was still putting himself between her and the way out.

  Cooper's eyes were hungry and cold and didn't match his smile at all as he looked her up and down. The way he lingered on her curves was anything but pleasant. "I don't think so, Ash. If you were innocent, you'd be running to your dragon boyfriend instead of just hiding behind his name. No, there's something that you don't want him to find out about, isn't there? Come on, I'll cover for you. No need for you to get in trouble."

  Smiling, the scientist reached out to touch her cheek. Ashley's hand came up, lightning fast, grabbing his wrist and holding it tight. "My name's not Ash, he's not my boyfriend, and if you try to touch me again I'll—"

  This time, though, he wasn't scared of someone seeing them. His face darkened and the rage in his eyes flared up at her touch. His free hand came around in a hard slap that sent her reeling back against the control panels.

  "Bitch," he hissed, grabbing her by the collar. "You don't get to threaten me. You don't make me look bad! I'm going to—"

  Ashley slammed her fist into the scientist's gut without waiting to find out what he was planning. It wouldn't be anything good, that was all she needed to know before she defended herself.

  Cooper stumbled back, gasping and clutching at his stomach, and that gave her the chance to twist free and run for the exit. Figuring out what to do once she'd escaped could wait, for now it was enough to get away.

  But the low gravity didn't make things easy. She wasn't used to it yet and overshot, skidding past the doorway and scrabbling at the wall. Cooper wasn't far behind her, and he'd had years of practice at moving on Mars — he might not be fit, but he was faster than she was here.

  Ducking, Ashley managed to avoid his grasping hands and jump aside. It didn't carry her far enough, though, and his foot caught her in the calf, tripping her and sending her tumbling into the dragon pit. Well-practiced reflexes made her twist and turn in midair, angling to land safely. Unfortunately, those were Earth reflexes, and here on Mars they didn't quite work. She hit the floor at an awkward angle, her legs shooting out from under her with a sharp jolt of pain. Her head hit the floor with a nasty thump, and then Cooper was on her.

  His hands caught her collar and pulled, tearing the fabric, and Ashley tried to pull away. Her body wouldn't cooperate. Everything seemed to be spinning and she couldn't keep up, couldn't coordinate her actions. It was still too much resistance for Cooper, though, and he slammed her back into the hard metal floor making her gasp in pain. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.

  "You bitch," Cooper snarled again, raising his fist high. "I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget."

  Ashley raised her hand to block his blow, but even as she did she knew that she wouldn't be in time. Everything seemed to be happening so slowly, his fist growing as he swung, and there was nothing she could do...

  And then a huge red hand wrapped around Cooper's wrist, jerking his punch to a stop. With a mighty roar, Kosar lifted the scientist and threw him across the pit to slam into the wall. Looking up at her rescuer, Ashley saw that he was trembling with rage, his wings spread wide and his teeth bared.

  "You dare?" Kosar thundered at Cooper as the human scrambled to his feet. "You dare to attack my mate?"

  "She's the spy," Cooper blurted out quickly. "I found her snooping around in here and—"

  Before he could say another word, Kosar was on him. A fist swung in a sharp arc that struck the human's chest, and Ashley thought she heard ribs snap. Cooper's counter-punch glanced harmlessly off Kosar's scales and Ashley almost felt sorry for the scientist. Almost.

  He was going to kill me, she reminded herself, trying to stand. But that doesn't mean I want to see him beaten to d
eath.

  It would make things simpler if he didn't live to explain his suspicions, true. That wasn't enough reason for Ashley to condemn someone to die, though. As Kosar struck again, driving Cooper down into a bloody heap, she tried to pull herself up. The world spun around her and she felt sick, but she refused to let that stop her.

  Her left ankle gave way as soon as she tried to put any weight on it and she tumbled back to the floor. The gasp of pain that escaped before she could control herself drew Kosar's attention, though, and he abandoned Cooper to leap to her side. His hands caught her head before it could hit the decking yet again, and he set her down carefully.

  "Are you all right?" he demanded, looking her over quickly. Ashley's mouth opened but she couldn't find the words to say. Kosar's sudden presence was overwhelming, and now that she lay in his arms it felt so right. She could imagine staying here forever, held by him, curled against that powerful, wonderful body. Nothing else mattered, nothing else was real.

  But the look of concern on his face dragged her back to reality and she knew that she had to answer his question. It wasn't fair on him otherwise.

  "I'm fine," she said, sitting up but not pulling away. Relief filled Kosar's alien eyes and he smiled at her. The expression ignited something in Ashley's heart and her breath caught. This close to him the heat of his body was almost overwhelming, and she couldn't ignore the way he'd leaped to her defense. He'd saved her in the nick of time, and no man had ever done that for her before.

  And I'm still a traitor to his cause. The thought rose unbidden in Ashley's mind and she turned away before her guilt showed on her face. Kosar rumbled something under his breath, arms closing around her and pressing her against his chest as though to keep her safe from harm. If only he could keep me safe from everything, Ashley thought. Then I could just tell him...

  That was out of the question though, no matter how bad it felt to deceive Kosar. Too much was on the line for Ashley to risk it all. It wasn't just her own future she'd be risking, but Michael's, and her kid brother was depending on her.

  Thinking about that made Kosar's embrace uncomfortable, and Ashley tried to twist away. Kosar didn't let her go, simply standing and lifting her in his arms. After a moment she relaxed again, giving up her futile struggle and letting him carry her. It did feel good to be in his grip, and better to leave Cooper behind. Her guilt might burn her, but the warm feeling of Kosar's body against hers, the feel of his heartbeat, the touch of his skin, they all soothed her and smothered the fear in her heart.

  "Where are you taking me?" she asked nervously.

  "Away from here," Kosar told her. "You need medical attention. And then, once you are safe and sound, I will be back for Cooper. And I will kill him for daring to hurt you."

  That wasn't an idle threat or macho posturing. There was no boast in Kosar's voice, just a calm statement of intent. Ashley shivered in his arms, trying to decide if she wanted to protest or not.

  "He doesn't deserve to die," she said eventually. It would be simpler if he were dead, yes, but she wasn't willing to have someone killed to keep her secrets. And while he did deserve to pay for attacking her Ashley didn't think that deserved a death penalty either. "I'll be fine, you don't have to—"

  "It's not about what I have to do, Ashley. The man attacked you and I will not let that stand." Kosar lifted her so that she could see the stern, serious expression on his face. The anger in his eyes, a slow controlled fury that spelled the end of Cooper's life. His face was just inches from hers, and his firm lips looked so deliciously kissable that she could barely resist the urge to kiss him. "You are my mate, and that is that. I will avenge any attack on you tenfold."

  "Listen to me, Kosar," she said, head swimming. Was that her head wound or the closeness of her mate? She couldn't tell. "If you value me then don't kill him. Please. I don't want that on my conscience, okay? Do you understand?"

  The frustrated growl he let out told her that he did, though he didn't approve. "Humans. Why do you have to make a warrior's life so complicated? I should take vengeance for you, my love. It's a dragon warrior's way."

  "Promise that you won't. Or I'll..." Ashley trailed off, not knowing what she could possibly threaten him with. But the alien warrior nodded anyway. Apparently, no threat was needed.

  Good, she thought, lying back in his arms. Then I can relax. Maybe close my eyes for a moment.

  The world was still spinning as the darkness closed around her and she slept.

  When her eyes opened again, the pain behind them was gone. All the pain was gone, in fact, and that felt amazing. For a moment Ashley didn't register anything else aside from the blessed peace.

  A calm sensation washed through her, along with the warmth, and she didn't want to think about anything. It was better to just lie still and let the world drift past.

  She was still in Kosar's arms, and they felt even better now that she wasn't hurting. Her eyes fluttered open drowsily. Above her was a ceiling of rough red Mars rock, not the crystal of the tower or the dark metals of the Grace of Herendar. This was somewhere new, somewhere she hadn't been before.

  Starting to pay attention to her surroundings, Ashley looked around. She was floating in warm water, a pool in a red cave. The light was low, calm, soothing, and everything felt so peaceful. Kosar supported her, keeping her head above water as the two of them drifted. Snuggling back against him with a happy little sound, Ashley tried to remember how she'd gotten there. Something bad had happened, she knew that much. There'd been a fight? It wasn't very clear, and she shook her head, trying to focus.

  It was only then that she realized that she was naked. And that Kosar was, too. With a squeak and a thrash she pulled away from him, splashing to the side of the pool and trying to cover herself as she looked back at him.

  Kosar stared at her, bemused and amused at the same time. There was a sparkling look of desire in his eyes as well as he looked at her, and Ashley gritted her teeth to glare at him.

  "Where the hell are my clothes?" she demanded. "What are you doing with me?"

  Her memories were starting to return as she looked at him. Kosar saving her from Cooper... her head injury... then nothing.

  Kosar stood in the waters, his wings spread behind him. Framed like that, he looked even more magnificent than before. Ashley found it almost impossible to stay angry with him. It was hard enough to resist the urge to go back to his embrace. Ashley couldn't resist looking down his body, the rivulets of water running over his muscles and defining them. He looked amazing, magnificent, even better than he had before. Ashley realized that she was chewing on her lower lip and, heart pounding, managed to pull her gaze back up to his face as he answered.

  "You were hurt, and the healing pool was the quickest and best way to treat you," Kosar said as though that explained everything. When she didn't answer he grimaced and tried again. "The nanomachines in the pool can repair many injuries, Ashley. They are designed for my kind, but they work well on humans too and I wasn't going to take any chances with you."

  "But why am I naked?" she repeated her question, looking around for something better than her hands to cover herself with. There: she spotted her clothes in a neat pile on the far side of the room. Well, that's just perfect, she thought. No way to reach them without giving Kosar a good look.

  Which wasn't as unpleasant a thought as it might have been. The way he looked at her made her heart race and her cheeks heat, and she wasn't so sure she minded giving him a show. Stop that. Stop thinking about him that way, Ashley, it's not fair to either of us.

  "I didn't want to get your clothes soaked when you don't have any spares here," Kosar told her, infuriatingly reasonable. "Besides, clothing can confuse the nanomachines. That's not good when they're dealing with an injury."

  Despite the water's heat, Ashley shivered. The idea of tiny machines healing her injuries was creepy enough without the idea that they might lose track of the difference between her and her clothing. Yeah, okay, that was a good reason t
o get me out of the clothes, she admitted reluctantly.

  Pure motives weren't keeping him from looking at her though. Kosar's gaze slid over her naked form and Ashley felt a blush spread over her. She coughed, trying to look away but unable to keep herself from admiring the alien's body out of the corner of her eye.

  "Am I all better then?" she asked, trying to keep herself to business. Kosar grinned.

  "I think so, but I can check you thoroughly to make sure," he offered, stepping towards her. Ashley felt a delightful tingle run through her at the thought of his hands running over her, his fingers caressing every inch of her. God damn it, stop, she willed herself, but instead of backing away as she'd intended she stayed put, letting him come to her. Kosar towered over her, his presence overwhelming her senses.

  But he didn't touch her.

  Ashley knew that if he did, her self-control would snap like cheap plastic. Even now it was strained to the limit. Her heart raced as Kosar looked at her, examining her with a focus that was in equal parts embarrassing and overwhelmingly sexy. It took every ounce of her willpower not to take the final step toward him, to throw herself into his arms again.

  And there was something in his eyes that told her he knew it, too. Not smugness or arrogance, just a confident knowledge that she needed his touch. That she wanted him as much as he wanted her. That confidence only made him sexier.

  With a splash Ashley turned away and threw herself to the edge of the pool, clambering out. Let him look, let him see her naked, she needed distance from him if she was going to resist her attraction.

  The water cascaded off her as she pulled herself up and hurried to the neatly folded pile of her clothes. His gaze was on her every step of the way, she could feel him watching, and she had to admit that she liked it. To herself, anyway — she'd die before she admitted it to Kosar.

  Pulling her clothes on when she was still soaking wet didn't conceal as much as she'd like, but it was better than nothing. Even if her top clung to her curves in a way that left little to the imagination. Behind her she heard more splashing and turned to see Kosar pulling himself out of the pool.