by Anna Hackett
She made a humming noise. “I have to do some manual manipulation before the medscope can finish the job. I’m going to give you a painkiller—”
“No. Don’t want a painkiller.”
“Uh-huh.” She lifted her hand, and before he could move, she pushed a pressure injector against his neck. He felt a quick sting.
“Dammit.”
“This is going to hurt, and I don’t need you being a macho man.” She rested his hand in her palm. Ry took a second to note how big his hands were compared to hers. “You’ll need the drugs. Now, hold still.”
She carefully manipulated the bones in his finger back into place, and he barely felt any pain. Then she waved the medscope over him again. He watched the damaged skin knit before his eyes.
“There we go, all done.” She set the device aside, then leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his finger. “You were a very good boy.”
It was only the tiniest brush of her lips on his knuckles. Nothing provocative, but he felt that small touch all the way through him. His cock hardened.
She must have sensed the change in the air because she froze. Her gaze shot up to his.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Rynan was fully aware that he was sitting on her bed with his legs apart, and Elana on her knees, practically nestled between his knees.
Suddenly, she shifted closer.
“Elana—” His voice was low and husky. The subtle scent of her surrounded him.
“Shut up, Ry.” She pressed her body against his and a second later, her lips touched his.
Fuck. The taste of her hit him like a lightning bolt, and his control snapped. He wrapped his arms around her, and delved into her mouth with his tongue.
She moaned, twisting upward and wrapping her arms around him. Desire exploded, and it felt so damn good.
The next thing Rynan knew, they were stretched out on her bed, and he was rolling her into the sheets, his body on top of hers. He ground his cock against her.
“Rynan.” Need vibrated in her voice and she slid her hands into his hair.
Reality hit, equally hard. This is Elana. Elana.
He pulled away from her, and rolled off the bed. What the hell had he been thinking?
His rock-hard cock pressed against his cargo pants. He hadn’t been thinking at all.
She gingerly sat up, watching him carefully. One strap of her tank top had slid down, the top of her breast spilling over the neckline.
“This shouldn’t have happened.” This was Elana. His friend. His employee. One of the few people he trusted completely.
He backed away toward the door.
She swallowed, her face studiously blank. “Ry—”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. This was a mistake. A big mistake.”
He slapped his hand against the door lock, and as soon as it slid open, he shoved out of her cabin.
Chapter Three
Elana set the last of the items back in the cabinets in the medical bay, after ruthlessly reorganizing all the medical supplies. She hadn’t slept after Rynan had left her room, so she’d come in here to work. She’d needed to do something, anything, to take her mind off things.
Music pumped through the small buds in her ears. It had always been her refuge. On her family’s ship, there had been nowhere to go to escape the grind of ship work and nosy family members. All she’d been able to do was slip on her headphones and listen to whatever music she could get her hands on.
Usually she’d be humming along and dancing, but right now, she couldn’t muster the enthusiasm. Listening to the deep drum beat and wail of strings was enough for her to not think. Mostly.
She slammed the cabinet doors closed. Damn Rynan Phoenix.
Glancing at her timepiece, she saw that she was due for her shift on the bridge. She jumped up, pulled her ear buds off, and left medical, striding down the corridor.
He’d kissed her. And it had been so good. The kiss had been better than anything she’d ever imagined, and she’d imagined kissing him a lot.
Elana’s hands curled into fists. She’d seen desire in his eyes. He’d wanted her, but then he’d pushed her aside. She let out a shaky breath. He clearly didn’t want her as much as she wanted him.
Shoving the thoughts and feelings down deep, she managed a neutral expression as she strode through the double doors that led to the bridge. Instantly, her gaze swept past the rows of comp screens and consoles, past the captain’s chair, and zeroed in on Rynan’s broad back. She stiffened her spine, and called out hellos to the others.
As she took her place at the console, stormy-gray eyes landed on her.
She touched her console, staring resolutely at the glowing screen that flared to life. “How’s your finger?”
“Fine,” he replied.
Elana pulled up the hull reports, checking the data from the routine scans for any damage. She tried to ignore the electric awareness arcing between her and Ry.
“Have you started checking the short-range scan results yet?” She kept her tone brisk and businesslike.
“Not yet.” He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “Elana…”
“What?” She looked up, keeping her face blank. God, that rugged face of his made her belly clench. Why won’t you let me in, Ry?
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.” He shifted his feet awkwardly.
His words cut into her heart. “About what?” She didn’t care that her tone was sharp.
He winced. “You know.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, I don’t. You’ll have to spell it out for me.”
He sent a quick glance at the others, but his brothers were busy, deep in conversation with Nissa. “The kiss. I’m your boss—”
His console beeped, and the look of relief on his face was almost comical. As he touched the screen, Elana leaned over and swiped her own screen. “A ship’s appeared on the long-range scanner. No, make that two ships. They’re small and fast.”
“Space pirates,” Ry said unhappily, studying the images. “They’re a long way off.”
“But headed in our general direction.”
Rynan had strict protocols set up for the long-range scans. It was better when a convoy had a deep-space scout who flew ahead in a scout ship, but that wasn’t an option now. They used to have a scout—Aurina Phoenix, Ry’s half-sister. She’d been awesome at her job, until she’d crash-landed on a barbarian world and fallen in love with a barbarian warlord. Now, she lived on the planet of Markaria, happily raising her mini-barbarians.
Elana didn’t envy Aurina her growing brood of kids, or the wild, untamed world she now called home. She did envy the huge, sexy man who’d claimed her. One look at Kavon, and it was easy to see the man adored his mate and would give his life for her. Elana wanted that. She wanted a man by her side who loved her. Who looked at her the way she’d seen Kavon look at Aurina, or the way Justyn grinned at Nissa, or the dark, hungry look Dare got on his face when he looked at Dakota.
“Let’s run more regular sweeps.” Ry tapped the screen, completely focused on his work as usual. “We’ll keep an eye on these pirates.”
Elana nodded, but looked blankly at the screen. She realized it was time to accept that Rynan would never look at her the way she wanted him to.
“I’m on it, boss,” she said.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him cast her a sharp, unhappy glance.
“Good morning, everyone.” Goldie strode onto the bridge and threw her hands into the air. “It’s a perfect day for finding treasure.”
Dare stepped forward. “Morning. Remember, Naahlaw is our first priority, but we have started scanning for your ice world.”
Goldie nodded, moving over to give Rynan and Elana a small, clear data chip. “Every additional scrap of information I have about the Ventura, the treasure hoard, and the ice world.”
“Thanks,” Elana said, slipping the chip into the controls.
“So, you’ll search
for any nearby planets covered in ice and snow?” the woman asked.
“Yeah,” Ry replied. “You know what brought the ship down?”
Goldie shook her head. “But Joseph Fox left a record about them stopping on a volcanic moon a day before they crashed on the ice planet. He said they left carvings on the moon. A record of their visit.”
“A volcanic moon…” Ry touched his screen.
“Naahlaw is a volcanic planet,” Elana said.
“Opposites, remember?” Goldie said. “What’s the opposite of lava and molten rock?”
“Solid rock,” Ry said. “A rocky moon. That doesn’t narrow it down a lot…”
“But it helps,” Elana added. “So, we need to find a rocky moon close to an ice world.”
“I’ve got something.” Ry raised his eyebrows. “There’s a potential match on long-range scanners.”
When he leaned over, his shoulder brushing hers, she tried not to react.
She forced herself to study the scan results. “A rocky moon orbiting a mid-size, terrestrial planet…”
“With a neighboring planet that’s an ice world.” They shared a smile, before Elana looked away.
Ry swiveled. “Nissa, I’m sending you coordinates. After we stop at Naahlaw and off load our passengers, let’s go in and take a closer look.”
Nissa tapped on the screen attached to her chair. “Acknowledged. We’ll arrive at Naahlaw first thing in the morning, and after that, let’s hope we’re headed in the right direction.”
Elana stared at the viewscreen. She didn’t know what the right direction was anymore.
There was a hubbub of excited voices as the convoy passengers and crew all strode down the ramp and off the Sky Nomad.
Elana stepped off the ship into the bright morning sunshine and took a deep breath. She hadn’t been dirtside for months. The air was filled with a scent of burning that wasn’t exactly unpleasant. Sunlight was currently spearing through the cloud cover, but the weather on Naahlaw was always unpredictable, like its volcanoes.
Ahead, the planet’s main trade town, Neani Colony, was spread out before them, clinging to the side of a mountain. The buildings were made of the local black rock. None of the structures were very high but the domes and short spires gave the place a mystical, elegant feel.
Farther up the hill, a larger domed building dominated the view. The Temple of Fire and Passion.
A crowd of locals rushed forward, their robes brushing the paved ground. Many were carrying baskets loaded with wares, while others were trying to convince the passengers to visit their shops. The local Naahlawans stood out—tall, willowy, with dark hair. But there were plenty of other species represented, as was common on uncharted market worlds.
Elana scanned around for any security issues, but everything looked like it always did. She sensed a presence beside her and saw Ry exit the Nomad. His gaze was narrowed as he studied the town.
“Everything looks fine,” she said, taking her gaze off him. She saw some of the convoy passengers smiling and laughing with the market sellers. Goldie, with Daarn at her back, was talking excitedly with one man who was showing her a basket of small Naahlawan artifacts.
Elana frowned, watching the way the bodyguard stuck to his client. She was sure that Goldie had grown up with bodyguards her entire life, but the watchful Daarn looked like he was expecting trouble and that set Elana’s radar pinging.
Imagining things, Korra.
“Dare is finalizing with the two ships who are leaving us here,” Ry said, his shoulders stiff. “The majority of the passengers are leaving too, so I’ve made arrangements for Milo to offload their gear. Only passengers staying are Goldie and her men, and two pilgrims who are happy to go wherever we go.”
Elana nodded, hating that the conversation felt so…stilted. She and Ry had always been so easy together, but since that kiss…
Suddenly the ground rumbled and they both looked up, knowing what to expect. Up on the mountain, technically an active volcano, lava spewed upward in beautiful fiery arcs. The red-orange molten rock sprayed into the air like an amazing fountain.
The crowd below stood in awe, oohing and ahhing. The locals bowed their heads with reverence. The firefalls of Naahlaw were considered sacred by many. Elana watched the show, thinking of how many amazing things she’d seen on every convoy.
It didn’t matter that she’d seen the firefalls before, they were still breathtaking.
Slowly, the lava flows died away.
“Stay sharp and make sure no one gets into trouble,” Rynan said. “Until everyone signs off the convoy, they’re still ours to protect.”
She nodded. She knew the drill.
They pushed through the crowd. Elana heard a feminine laugh and spotted Teela and her friends flirting with some locals. She was glad as hell the women would be getting off here.
“Rynan!”
A pretty feminine voice filled the air and Elana heard the swish of skirts.
A tall, dark-haired woman with curls falling to her waist hurried forward, the crowd parting for her. Her slim body was covered in a silky orange dress that wrapped around her slender torso before falling down her long legs. Her bare feet, as was the custom for a Naahlawan priestess, moved gracefully over the ground.
“Priestess.” Ry bowed his head.
The woman stopped and smiled. She had a gorgeous, serene face, and Elana knew she wasn’t just any priestess, she was the high priestess of the Temple of Fire and Passion.
The woman reached out and touched Ry’s chest. “I do hope you’re coming to visit the temple this trip. I have some new priestesses who would love to meet you. I know you never select the same one twice.”
Elana stiffened. She was well aware that the locals worshipped the heat and fire, and that translated into a religion of priestesses trained to honor it with sex. She was also well aware that Ry had visited the temple a time or two.
She desperately wanted to call the priestesses prostitutes, but she knew they took no payment. To them, sex was a beautiful, pleasurable way to honor the fire of life.
Dark gray eyes slid to Elana and she looked away from Rynan.
“We’ll be pretty busy, Nallen,” Rynan said.
The woman laughed, a pretty tinkle of sound. She wound her arm through his. “You’re always busy.” She tilted her head. “You tempt a head priestess to deprive her novices of pleasure so she can take you to the sheets herself.”
Ry smiled. Something he so rarely did. “And you tempt me to forget I’m working.”
A choked sound escaped Elana. She didn’t make eye contract with Ry. “Since you’re busy, I’ll go and do our job, and keep an eye on the passengers.”
She strode away. She couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t continue to watch Ry take the odd one-night lover. It was slowly cutting into her, one slice at a time, and she was bleeding out.
Body rigid, she did a circle of the main market street of the town. Everyone was accounted for, busy shopping or meeting with the people they’d planned to meet on the planet. When Sayer appeared and nodded at her, taking over the patrol, Elana decided she deserved a drink.
She ignored the brightly lit, nice taverns in the center of the market street and picked a shadier one set back off the main area. The place didn’t have a view of the volcano, but it had a decent view of the market, so she could keep an eye on the passengers.
Elana sat at the bar. The place was almost empty and soothing music filtered in from somewhere. She ordered a fire ale from the lone bartender and then took a sip of the orange-colored drink. It burned all the way down her throat.
She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the music.
“A lovely lady drinking alone should be a crime.”
The smooth, male voice made her open her eyes. A handsome Naahlawan man appeared beside her, leaning against the bar. She took in the sweep of silky dark hair that brushed his collar and the lean body typical for his species. Attractive, and he knew it.
“I
’m fine.” She took another sip of her ale.
Deep brown eyes studied her. “I don’t think you are. I think you’re half mad, half sad.”
She’d spent a lifetime crowded in with her family and extended family, everyone reading her every mood. “Nothing a drink won’t solve.” Then she reached out and grabbed his wrist. “And you can put my Sync communicator back into my pocket. I need it, and if you do as I say, I won’t report you for picking pockets.”
The man withdrew his hand, a masculine pout tilting his lips. He sat down on the adjacent stool. “You’re good.”
“I work security and grew up with my brothers always trying to steal my things.” She sipped her drink again. “I thought there was plenty of work on Naahlaw.”
The man shrugged. “I ran into some recent trouble…caught in a few ladies’ beds honoring the fire. Beds I shouldn’t have been in. I’ve been blacklisted.”
She snorted. “Then you should move to another town or go offworld. There are always choices and they’re yours to make.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Taking action isn’t always easy, but the end result is almost always better than staying stuck in a rut.”
He tapped his fingers on the bar. “You follow that advice?”
She blew out a breath. “I used to.” But she’d let herself slide into a rut. She had feelings for Ry and instead of taking action, any action, she’d just let herself drift along until she felt like every day with him was sucking her dry.
Her companion reached out and cupped her cheek. “You seem far too lovely and smart to stay stuck in a rut.”
She smiled at him. He really was a charming rogue and she had to admit, the flicker of interest in his eyes made her feel good.
“Is this man bothering you, Elana?”
Ry’s deep, unhappy voice interrupted them. Elana slowly pulled back and saw him only a meter away. “No. Everything’s fine, Rynan.”
“I need you back at work.” His gray eyes boiled.
