He glanced at her as she pretended to study the action of the docking. Knowing her kind like he did, she was probably keeping an eye on him, looking for a chance to escape once they docked.
“What the hell are you doing hanging around Nikiraki’s men?”
She looked him over. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about, or who that is.”
Sniffing, she turned away. He grabbed her arm and gave it a yank.
“Mila, you are on my last nerve, woman. I know you were seen with his men. He’s scum, and anyone who works for him is scum. So, tell me why you’ve been hanging with them.”
One eyebrow rose. She looked down at his hand, then back up. The banked anger he saw flash in her jade eyes made him lose his train of thought. The woman had a spirit he had to admire. Unfortunately, it also attracted him. He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He watched as her gaze continued to bore into him. She had the princess-to-peasant attitude down pat.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Each word was perfectly enunciated from behind clenched teeth.
“My father had reports you’d been around Nikiraki’s men. You tell me if they got it wrong.”
Something flashed in her eyes, across her face, that might have been panic. Damn, he hoped she wasn’t tied up with Nikiraki. This could get messy, and someone like her wouldn’t last a day if left to her own devices. She was in over her head where that bastard was concerned.
She twisted her arm until he freed it. “It isn’t any of his business what I do. If all the men I know would get that in their minds, my life would be much easier.” She sounded so irritated that he laughed in her face.
“Well, darling, you might just as well get used to it for now, because until I hand you over to my father, I’m sticking to you like glue.”
Chapter Three
Mila looked around the weigh station as they stood in line to be processed. She hated this freaking planet. Twenty years ago it had been uninhabited. When scientists developed a way to survive in the harsh temperatures of the planet, it’d turned into a place people stopped on their way to things more important. Anyone who lived there was insane or criminal. Or both.
The lines were long, which increased Mila’s nervousness. The miscreants surrounding them made her skin itch, but she’d be damned if she would show it. It was all Hunter’s fault. He’d taken her weapon away, again. It made her feel ... naked. Just the memory of the way it felt in her hands -- cold, hard, titanium metal -- made her heart skip a beat. It was the perfect weight for her. It wasn’t too big as some of the more powerful weapons were and had just the right amount of power. She sighed and gave Hunter another nasty look. A man should never come between a woman and her machinery.
She didn’t like being around creatures who would slit your throat before dinner or for dinner.
To take her mind off them and the jackass who was now fondling her weapon, she looked out the large windows. The view would be beautiful, if she were to see it in an ebook, or possibly as a hologram hanging in an office. Jagged cliffs rose from frozen ground, both covered in frigid, thick ice. There were no shrubs, trees, or flowers on this planet. Nothing could survive without protection. It was, in her humble opinion, an ice-filled version of hell.
Hunter’s voice broke into her thoughts. He was, of course, giving her orders.
“Stop frowning. These Estaician guards should be easy to charm. I want you to pull that bit you tried on me earlier.”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and studied the male Estaicians. Average height for a male was about seven feet; their reddish brown skin was covered with freckle-like spots that told her they’d all reached the mating age. She snorted. They did have a thing for human females. Then Hunter’s comment sunk in.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Mila.” He sighed. “I don’t have time for this. You and I know what you can do when you bat those fake green eyes. Now, do it, so we can get through here. Spending time in jail here is worse than a Turkish prison on Earth late in the twentieth.”
“My eyes are not fake.”
“Whatever you say, darling.” His voice had deepened, sending her hormones bouncing.
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her ear. “I want these people to believe we’re together, and not as inmate and warden. So, shut up, do as I say, and I might just save that cute ass of yours.”
Mila knew she should be pissed. She didn’t let anyone talk to her like that. But his breath feathered over her skin, causing heat to dance along her nerve endings. His voice flirted, even as he was telling her what to do. It took every bit of her willpower not to rub up against him like some damn cat in heat.
She turned her head to look at him and had to lean her head back to make eye contact. When she did, her breath caught in her throat at the heat she saw there.
“And just why would I want to do that? I don’t need a man.” Dammit, she sounded out of breath, like some damn fifteen-year-old with her first crush.
His lips quirked. “Now, you know I can’t let that statement go by without a comment.”
He pulled her closer and brought his face to within inches of hers. Their mouths were lined up perfectly for a kiss. All she needed to do was stand on tiptoe, and she could see what he tasted like.
“I think you do need a man, Mila. You need a man who can handle you, in and out of bed.”
She could feel the heat of him through their clothing. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she tried to think of a response. Something that would put the big, gun-stealing Neanderthal in his place. Nothing came to mind, because all she could think of was just how good it would be to taste his lips, his skin.
“Even as small as you are, I’m sure you would be a handful. And that’s something I would like. To get a handful of you.”
Oh, Lord have mercy. The man was a pain in the ass, but he had the most delicious voice. Arousal and need throbbed just below the polished surface of seduction. It made everything in her go all melty. Mila tried to gather her thoughts. She was an experienced woman who usually took the upper hand in seduction. This was wreaking havoc with her plans. Whatever the hell they were.
Deciding two could play at this game, Mila stood on her toes, pushed aside his hair, and pressed her lips against his ear. Every muscle in his body went rigid at the contact, and after a moment, he sighed.
She smiled, enjoying his reaction. “Really? I rather thought you wanted to strangle me.”
He chuckled. Deep and rich, the sound of it sent a delightful shiver down her spine. Sliding his hands around her waist and then down to her ass, he lifted her and pressed her sex against his cock.
Oh, my. A gush of liquid filled her pussy. Without a thought, she slid her arms up over his shoulders, beneath his hair, touching his bare skin.
He took a few measured breaths before answering. “If you want to know the truth, love, I switch back and forth between wanting to throttle you and fuck you. It’s a new and interesting experience.”
Damn. What was it about that upper-crust English accent that had her creaming her panties? Well, that is, she would be if she were wearing any. She drew in a deep breath as she nibbled on his ear. The scent of him -- raw, sexual male -- had her head spinning faster. Need coiled in her tummy. She wanted him. There was no one else to quench her thirst for hot, fast sex. Just Hunter. As she nipped at his jaw, she slid her hands down to his ass.
He groaned, then pulled away from her so fast she almost went reeling backward. She stumbled, trying to regain her balance, and shook her head a few times. The stream of profanity that came out of his mouth brought her back to reality. She looked around to notice that few of the other weigh station patrons were paying attention. Something like this was probably a daily occurrence for this place.
Closing her eyes, she tried to gather her thoughts, but her head still whirled with thoughts of w
hat exactly she would have done if they’d been alone. Jesus, they were in the middle of a weigh station, she’d escaped a few particularly mean gunrunners by the skin of her teeth, there were probably more people after her, and she was practically dry humping Hunter in public.
Very professional for an Agency courier, Mila. If Masters ever found out, she’d be toast. She glanced at Hunter. He was breathing as deeply as she and looking anywhere but down at her. Every muscle in his body seemed clenched as if ready to attack. She sighed. Damn if she still didn’t want to be the one he attacked.
She opened her mouth to apologize. Before she could utter a syllable, Hunter grabbed her arm -- and boy, she was getting freaking sick of that -- and dragged her behind him.
“Don’t say another bloody word.” He stepped around a rather nasty-looking Redeunart. “I ... you ... just forget it. Forget everything.”
Forget it? Jeez, it was going be pretty hard to do that. Her nipples were still hard, her pussy throbbed. It had been bad enough after that firefight, but now, knowing what he tasted like ... She sighed again. Sin. He was candy-coated sin, and she wanted to lick him down to his soft, gooey center.
Her head started to clear, and she realized they’d been left behind as the line moved up. Mila knew she should be embarrassed, but for some reason she wasn’t. It was probably due to lack of blood in her brain.
He pulled her in front of him and then rested his hands on her shoulders. Mila couldn’t help the leap in her pulse or how her mind drifted to the image of those hands sliding against her bare skin. He didn’t talk again until they reached the front of the line.
“The one there who’s been watching you, he’s in charge.”
She knew that, but she didn’t say it. She’d spotted him a few moments earlier. Like she needed help getting out of a tight situation.
“Now, remember, don’t play it too well, or he may want to take you to the observation room.”
She snorted. “Like that would matter. At least I could work off some of this energy.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulders, then he leaned closer. “Don’t even think about it, Mila. No one gets a taste of that pussy before I do.”
Oh, she wanted to call him all kinds of names. But ... she wanted him and what she was sure he could do to her more. Just the promise in his voice brought a procession of images dancing through her mind. She drew in a deep breath.
“Next.” The guard’s voice broke through her contemplation.
“You’re on, babe.”
* * * * *
Hunter watched Mila bat her eyes at the guard. The idiot fell for it. What he couldn’t understand was how no one seemed to see how crafty the woman was. Sure, she had the little woman routine down, but these guards were hardened protectors. Many of them were just a step up from the creatures they were there to catch. And now, three of them were practically drooling over her.
“Now, you see why we’ve had a tough time of it. My mother is just not happy because Johnny is ...” She glanced at him over her shoulder, smirking, then she turned back to her audience. “Well, he’s not what she wanted for her little girl. She wanted me to marry up after the last marriage was such a mess. I wouldn’t hear of it, since I think Johnny is my one true love.”
She smiled at the group, and he swore he heard a few of them sigh. One of them definitely licked his lips.
“If it won’t be too much trouble, we would like to get to our hotel as soon as possible.”
She blushed prettily, and just like that, their entry was approved. As they walked away from the group of guards, Mila was preening like some damn queen bee.
He took hold of her upper arm and pulled her along. “Knock it off, Mila. They see you acting smug, they’ll wonder why.”
She sighed, the sound filled with irritation. “Thanks, Mila. You got us through a tight spot, Mila.”
“If you hadn’t docked us on this shit planet, Mila, this wouldn’t have been an issue.”
“I didn’t plan to knock you out.”
“Sure, sweetheart, you keep saying it, and maybe I’ll believe you.”
They walked down the mall of shops offering anything from food to flesh. He hadn’t been prepared for this planet, so they had nothing to protect them from the weather. Most of the time, they’d be indoors. Because of the harsh extremes, all transportation was housed inside and Hunter didn’t like to be caught unprepared.
He glanced down at Mila. More than once, he was asked if she was for sale. He was amazed by her composure. The lowest scum in the sector loitered around the dark recesses of the dingy, dank hallway. Mila appeared not to give it another thought. Anyone would think she was on the way to a royal ball. Not once did she flinch, but he did feel the muscles in her arm contract as she opened and closed her fist.
Contradictions. The woman was one big contradiction after another one. Instead of being scared or appalled, he knew she’d beat the hell out of some of the jackasses, if given the chance. And she did seem to have a hard-on for guns. She pouted for nearly an hour after he took her weapon away. It just didn’t seem to add up. He brushed aside his thoughts and steered her to a clothing shop he knew.
He released Mila’s arm and allowed her to walk in first, parting the fur draping in front of the shop for her.
An old-fashioned bell tinkled at their entrance, and a moment later, a balding gentleman stepped into the shop from a door leading to the back. Portly, a pair of glasses from the twenty-first perched on his nose, and sporting the same damn unruly white beard as the last time Hunter had seen him, Sterling Wainwright smiled the moment he saw Hunter.
“Hunter! What the hell are you doing here?” His bright blue gaze took in Hunter, but settled on Mila. His smiled widened and he walked forward. “And who is this lovely young woman?”
Hunter rolled his eyes when Sterling took Mila’s hand and kissed it.
“Mila, Sterling Wainwright. Sterling, Mila.”
Sterling gave him a knowing smile, then turned his attention back to Mila. “I didn’t know you were in the area. You almost missed me. I’m heading back to Earth day after tomorrow.”
A niggle of irritation chased down Hunter’s spine as Sterling didn’t let go of Mila’s hand. And Mila, idiot woman, was smiling at the older man as if he owned the world. “I thought you hated it down there, Sterling.”
“I have to be there when my first grandchild is born. Can’t miss that.”
“Damn, I forgot about that. When is Libby due?”
For a moment Sterling apparently forgot about Mila, although he did tuck her hand into the crook of his arm as he faced Hunter. “There are still a few weeks left, but I want to make sure I’m there when the little one shows up. Libby is always early with everything else ...” He shrugged. “Saint and Libby are still arguing. She saw no reason to go back to Earth. In all the years I’ve known the Saint, he’s been one to take chances, ride by the seat of his pants. He threw a fit and insisted that they head back.”
Hunter laughed, thinking of his friend Brady St. James, otherwise known as the Saint, and his by-the-rules wife, Libby. “I just can’t picture Saint getting bent out of shape.”
“Well, when you fall in love, things change. Right, m’dear?” He patted Mila’s hand and she smiled at him.
“I wouldn’t have any idea, Mr. Wainwright. I’ve never been in love.”
Sterling gasped theatrically. “Not ever been in love? What is wrong with the men you know?”
She leaned over and in a stage whisper said, “When you hang around with the likes of John Hunter what do you expect? No romance. Look where he brought me.”
“Cut it out, Mila. You pout at him like that, and he might just melt. And, Sterling, she isn’t going to float away. You can let go of her now.”
She smiled. “See what I mean? He lacks good manners.”
“Mila, dammit, I don’t have time for this.”
Taking a deep breath, he ordered himself to concentrate on the mission. He refused to give in t
o the uncomfortable feeling racing through him. Jealousy. For some woman who made him want to throttle her as much as kiss her. Shaking his head, Hunter turned his attention to Sterling. When Hunter looked down at Mila’s hand on Sterling’s arm, the old man chuckled but didn’t relinquish his hold.
“What can I do for you, Hunter?”
Pushing aside the primal need to grab Mila’s hand and tear her away from Sterling’s grasp, he concentrated only on Sterling.
“We need some outer gear. We should be on planet just for the required time.”
“Required time?” Mila asked.
He ground his teeth, then answered without looking at her. “Mila, everyone knows that there is a three-day wait to get off this damn planet.”
When she didn’t argue immediately, he glanced at her and then paused. All the color had drained from her face. This was not typical of Mila, at least in the short time he’d known her. From the first moment she ran down the hall, all that red hair flying behind her and holding a gun almost as big as she was, she’d been the master of her emotions. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was afraid.
Every instinct urged him to pull her into his arms and offer her comfort. He ignored it, knowing it had more to do with wanting her beneath him than actually comforting her. And he never let sex muddy his tactical thinking.
“When ...” She paused and then licked her lips. “When did they start that?”
He cocked his head and studied her for a second or two before answering. “About a year ago. There was that massacre of colonists in the Renuar sector after Desick mercenaries came through unchecked. The public threw a fit, and the council had plans to take over the planet until their own government came up with this plan.”
Hunting Mila Page 3
