Mission: Mistletoe

by Gemma Brocato

  A very unladylike snort came from Althea. “Damn plant is a parasite. We’ll look for any area that appears overgrown and neglected. What do you think, Rhayne? Maybe we should start in the herb garden. Even as a parasite, mistletoe would blend in there, wouldn’t it?”

  “It would be the perfect place for them to hide it in plain sight.” And Rhayne wasn’t sure the run-of-the-mill ag-bot would be able to distinguish mistletoe from marjoram.

  “Okay,” Griffin said. “We meet outside the hydroponics lab at two and get started. Mom and Rhayne can make a list of what else we’ll need. Just remember we won’t have access to standard lab issue material. We’ll have to get creative.”

  Althea said, “I already know of a couple things we’ll need to synthesize a new serum and where to find them. Rhayne can stay with Griffin and refine the formula. How about it, Deke? You feel like going on a scavenger hunt with me?”

  “I don’t want Mom out of my sight,” Griffin insisted.

  Rhayne shook her head. “It might be better if we aren’t together too much. Either one of us can brew the serum. If we get caught together, the chance of our success falls to nil.”

  Slater nodded then held a hand up toward Griffin as the younger man started to protest. “I’ll take care of her. It’s better if she goes with me. I’m the Chief of Security for the station, and it’s not a secret we were coupled. No one will question why Althea is with me. She’ll be safe.”

  Griffin did his best to look threateningly at the large Marine towering over his mother, but as soon as he glanced at Althea, his expression turned to one of concern. That single look propelled Althea into his arms for a fierce hug. “I’ll be fine, Griffin. Deke will make sure of it. Your job is to take care of Rhayne. As far as Truser is concerned, I’m sure she’s the bigger threat. Don’t you let her out of your sight.”

  Griffin hugged his mother closer and whispered into her ear. Whatever he said made a huge, room-brightening smile flash across her face. Althea gazed speculatively at Rhayne and winked at her before releasing her son. She grabbed Slater’s hand and pulled him toward the portal. The pair was out the door, leaving Rhayne alone with Griffin before she could react.

  Chapter 8

  She looked curiously at Griffin as she made herself comfortable in the chair by the dining table. “What was that about? That wink?”

  “She winked at you, not me,” he responded as he pulled a chair next to hers and straddled it.

  He took her hand and folded her fingers between his, pulling it close against his chest. The steady beat of his heart tapped against the back of her hand. Her blood pulsed erratically in response.

  “Are you nervous about doing this?” he asked.

  Rhayne suffered momentary confusion, thrown off by his question and the path on which her thoughts had veered. The “this” she had imagined was a deeply passionate embrace. It took her a moment to grasp his idea of “this” meant trying to stop Truser and Claymont’s deadly plan to unleash a genetic killer on unsuspecting Solstice revelers.

  She shook her head vehemently. “This plot has to be stopped. And right now, your mom and I, with your help and Deke’s, are the only ones who can make it happen.”

  Griffin regarded her with his glinting blue eyes for so long she finally shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Keeping his hold on her hand, pressing it fast against his chest, he laid his other hand on her knee and leaned toward her. Rhayne read his intent to kiss her in his eyes an instant before he lowered his head to hers. Her eyelids drifted shut as their lips met and fireworks exploded at the tender, sweet pressure of his mouth. She’d just started to return the kiss when Griffin pulled back.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you since you stumbled into the cargo bay,” he said, holding her gaze.

  “Then why did you stop?” She grasped his face between her hands and pressed her lips to his, open, hungry.

  Griffin stood, pulling Rhayne to her feet. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. They fit. Perfectly. Better than she had with any other man. He leaned away from her without releasing his hold, arching back until only the tips of her toes touched the floor. The crush of his body to hers lit a fuse in her brain that sizzled down her spine to her belly. When he cupped his hand over the cheeks of her behind, warmth seeped through the synthetic material of her uniform. His palms were hot enough to melt any resistance she might have felt. Except resistance wasn’t registering on her sensors.

  Running her hand over the smooth skin on his head, she opened her mouth to allow his tongue entry. The rough texture of his tongue rasped against hers. He retreated, sucking on her lower lip as he pulled away.

  “Rhayne, I want you now, but we don’t have enough time. We have to be at the hydro-farm soon.”

  She plucked at the fastenings on his tunic. “We’d have plenty of time if you stop talking.” Sealing her lips to his mouth, she continued to release the bindings on his top. She whispered against his lips, “Less talk, more action.”

  Groaning, he plunged his tongue into her mouth. His kiss was frantic…insatiable. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and locked her legs around his lean waist. Pressure built, heating the blood in her veins to a thermonuclear level.

  Carrying her, he crossed the room to his sleep station. Removing one hand from her butt, he slapped his palm on the control panel. A hydraulic hiss filled the quiet air as his oversized bunk floated from the storage recess. Air rushed into the mattress, mixing with the cellulose-like matter that made the bed mold to the forms lying atop it. Griffin’s large hand tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth. Moist heat pulsed between her legs with each of his tug on her lips. As soon as the bed fully inflated, he tossed her down and began to flip open the tabs securing her uniform closed. It didn’t take long until he’d managed to open all of them.

  His fingers tickled as he brushed the edges apart, exposing her upper body to his gaze. Desire turned his eyes molten. A slow, sexy smile lit his face as he pushed his knee between her thighs and leaned down. He pressed his lips to the skin above the line of her bandeau, the fingers of his hand tugging the snug binding down. As soon as he’d exposed her nipple, he took it in his mouth. His breath was hot and moist as he tugged the taut peak between his lips. She arched her back as her muscles clenched with the delicious pressure.

  “Griffin, oh my Titan! That’s remarkable.” Cool air caressed her skin when he pulled his mouth from her nipple “No, don’t stop, please.”

  His lips curved on the crest of her breast, one hand kneading the soft flesh, the other trailing over her shoulder to push her jacket off. Struggling to sit up, she shrugged out of the tunic and released the clasp holding the bandeau in place.

  He licked his lips and eyed her chest. “You’re made in the image of Hera herself. Bountiful, perfect.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “She was a goddess that man wasn’t meant to touch. Me? I need you to touch me.”

  He skimmed his finger down her cheek and neck, lingering on her collarbone. “Where, Rhayne? Where should I touch you?”

  “Everywhere,” she replied. Her body tingled as if she’d stuck her finger into a reverse flow pulseometer; tiny little shocks took up residence between her legs. She wasn’t beneath begging. “Please.”

  He ripped open his silver tunic and tore it from his shoulder, throwing it to the floor to land next to hers. Muscles rippled like water under his skin with each movement. Rhayne touched his stomach, tracing the line between his abs until it disappeared behind the snap of his slim cut trousers. The heat of his skin seared her fingers. She curled her hand behind his waistband and pulled him forward.

  Griffin grabbed her wrist, pressed her open palm against the hard ridge of his erection, and moaned. The deep rumbling sound enveloped her brain in a fog of desire. Her breath shortened in anticipation. Letting go of her arm, he lowered his hands to the tab closures on her leggings. He had the fastenings open in an instant, then peeled them off her le
gs, along with her intimate undergarments. Reclining spread eagle, naked, and exposed to his gaze, Rhayne fisted her hands to keep from crossing them over her body to hide it under his perusal. She scooted backward on the mattress until she was in the center of the airbed.

  The hungry, lustful look in his eyes illuminated his entire face. Her pulse sped up when he dropped his hands to his trousers, popped the snap, and lowered the zipper. Oh, God, he wasn’t wearing intimates. His bold penis popped through the opening. Her mouth went dry as he pushed the fabric over his hips, past his gorgeous ass, and down his trunk-like thighs. As soon as the pants pooled around his ankles, he toed off his shoes, pushing them to the side, then kicked his trousers away. His cock bobbed, then pointed straight up. She licked her lips. Griffin kneeled on the bed between her legs. He gently pushed against her shoulders, lowering her to her back.

  He pressed a kiss to her pubic bone and slid one long finger into her. When he withdrew, he returned with two, stretching her, brushing her clit with the pad of his thumb. The delicious friction sent a dervish of electricity spiraling through her. Her vision hazed as sensation mounted. Griffin’s hot lips and tongue left a line of fire on her belly as he moved over her.

  He gripped the back of her thighs and raised her legs around his hips until she locked ankles behind his back. Pressure built at the mouth of her vagina as his penis prodded against it, slipping just inside her, then withdrawing, only to repeat the motion. Each time he did, his chest brushed against her sensitized nipples.

  When he finally thrust fully into her, she moaned. His groan echoed hers in the quiet room. He set a motion and rhythm she easily matched, stroking her into a frenzy. Colors and light swirled through her head as he breathed hard in her ear, each exhalation stirring the hair at her temple, fanning her cheek.

  Griffin worked his arms under her shoulder and pushed deeper into her willing body. The wall of her channel throbbed around him. Her body vibrated with powerful passion, each thrust of his body driving her closer to the edge of sensation.

  “Come on, Rhayne. Come for me. Come with me now.” Griffin’s voice was husky, flooded with desire. The deep rasp of it, along with the hard momentum of his body sent her tumbling into an orgasm so intense she screamed his name. As her soul swirled above her on a sea of sensation, Griffin let loose his control and shuddered into his own powerful release.

  Rhayne let her thoughts drift on a brightly colored cloud for a moment. Griffin’s weight pressed her into the airbed, but she wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt like floating on the buoyant Sea of Cortez she’d visited once with her father on holiday. Soft. Light. Warm.

  Griffin pushed himself to his elbows and captured her lips with his, gentle pressure turned tender, worshipful. Once he broke the seal between their mouths, he stared into her eyes, a smile playing across his face.

  “I want to keep kissing you, but I think we’ll have to wait until this whole intrigue is over. Once it is, I plan to repeat this performance. Often. Consider yourself warned.” He smiled with the last statement.

  “Good.” She lifted her free hand to his cheek and rested it on the smooth skin. “I’ll hold you to it.”

  Griffin pressed his lips against hers before pulling away again. “Now, we better get busy on that formula.”

  Chapter 9

  Kronos, as a space station, operated around the clock in most areas—except for the agricultural wing. Only a few human personnel worked in the hydroponic lab. Automated processes and ag-bots technology delivered the necessary nutrients and correct water flow to ensure peak crop production.

  Due to the efficient programming, the lower regions of the station were eerily silent at two in the morning. Muted lights, spaced far apart from each other, created more shadows than illumination in the passageway leading to the hydroponics area. As Rhayne and Griffin approached the entrance to the farm, they didn’t pass another soul, human or android. They’d been waiting less than two minutes when they heard footsteps echo hollowly down the shadowy steel hall. To be safe, Griffin tried to push Rhayne behind him until they were sure it was Slater and Althea. Rhayne resisted and gave him a look she hoped communicated just what she thought of his action, but capitulated when he returned the look with one of his own. One filled with concern.

  “Griffin, it’s us,” Althea called out softly.

  Slater led, his stride resembling a tagritte about to pounce. Althea followed closely behind, hugging the wall as she moved forward. Rhayne sensed tension in them as they approached.

  Deke consulted the mini-tab in his hand. “Let’s get in there and get the fuck out as quickly as we can. The herbs are planted in the rear on the left according to the schematic I pulled up.”

  Griffin shifted around to look at the display, then pointed to a portal drawn in behind the herb section. “In case we need an escape route, there’s an access hatch here. It leads to Djinn storage two decks above.”

  Slater holstered the mini-tab and pulled a small device from a loop on his belt. “With the ag-bots recharging, I don’t expect we’ll come across anyone, but we’ll be prepared. My key-reader grants us access without tripping the alarm, but we need to move fast and stay together. Everybody ready?”

  At their silent nods, he waved the card across the security panel. The hydraulics hissed as the lock cleared. The portal slid open.

  The solar lights imitated the sun’s growing rays, bathing the four of them in a bright glare. Thick, moist air moved like a wave against Rhayne’s face as she walked through the door. Griffin took her hand and pulled her down the long, narrow aisles of raised water troughs that held a variety of plants. Rhayne knew how hydroponics worked, but she’d never seen a farm. She’d have stopped to explore if Griffin had allowed. As it was, she nearly had to run to keep up with his long strides toward the rear of the compartment.

  “Good Titan, it stinks in here!” Althea commented somewhat breathlessly.

  She was right. Vegetation growing in water always had a disgusting, swampy smell. The scent from thousands of plants thriving in fertilized water in a space the size of this farm was overpowering. Rhayne fought her gag reflex as she followed Griffin down the row. The noxious odor was one of the main reasons ag-bots tended it instead of humans. Farmers from ancient Earth routinely smelled and even tasted the soil before they planted and harvested. Ag-bots didn’t have programming to smell anything, although each was equipped with a sensor to evaluate the gas levels given off from the process. The oxygen and carbon dioxide by-products from everyday life on the station were scrubbed by gigantic filters then repurposed back to the farm as fertilizer.

  “No talking,” Slater commanded softly.

  Althea shot him a look but complied with his order. She did leave her mouth open to avoid breathing through her nose. Rhayne followed suit. The smell, humidity, and heat from the solar lamps left her uncomfortable and nauseated. Slater proceeded past a row of green beans, beckoning Althea to stay with him. Griffin grabbed Rhayne’s hand and dragged her forward, following the marine and his mother.

  “Over there,” Griffin mouthed over his shoulder and pointed toward a vibrant green plot.

  They stopped by a grid of troughs filled with sage and thyme, basil and feverfew. Rhayne thought she detected a refreshing hint of lemon grass and mint over the rotting plant smell.

  By silent agreement, she walked down one pathway while Althea took the next row over, their gazes trained on the plants in search of the chimera mistletoe.

  Rhayne trailed her fingers over the herbs as she slowly made her way to the end of the row. She plucked a leaf from a basil plant, crushed it between her fingers, then held it under her nose. The anise-like aroma almost eliminated the other unpleasant odors. It also helped settle her stomach. The men stayed at the section entrance, scanning the room for signs their presence had been noticed.

  Althea reached the end of her row and whispered as Rhayne approached, “Right now I’m wishing I’d paid more attention in botany lecture. Anything?”

&n
bsp; “No. Keep going. It’s got to be here,” Rhayne responded quietly. She caught Griffin’s eye where he waited at the end of the grid and shook her head before she moved to the next row. He made a circular motion with his hand, signaling them to hurry.

  They each walked two more rows before Althea gave a squeak of excitement. “Rhayne, it’s here,” she hissed.

  It looked like any of the other herb balls. Rounded…rangy. Leafy green and white tendrils grew from a central core. As Rhayne had suspected, the berries were variegated and slightly plumper than a regular mistletoe plant. She ducked under the trough and came up next to Althea on the other side. She pulled on a pair of gloves and started sifting through the plant base, looking for the root system. She wasn’t sure how much she’d need, but she wanted to take the whole thing, roots and all, if possible.

  “Would you look at that,” she whispered to Althea as she lifted the plant stems away from the basin.

  Althea crowded in for a look. “What’s that? Why would they add wood chips to the water?”

  Rhayne whispered back, “It must be important for it to grow in a somewhat natural way. Using green oak chips would supply some necessary nutrients.” She slipped the pack off her back and set it gently on the ground. She dug inside and pulled out a rectangular storage flask and a pair of sharp scissors.

  She had reached into the trough to grab some of the wood chips when Griffin joined them.

  “Time to go,” he whispered tersely. “Slater says we’ve been here too long.”

  Rhayne didn’t look up from what she was doing. “Just about done. There,” she said as she dropped several brown pieces into the container.

  “What the Hades? That looks like—” Griffin said.

  “It’s not.” Rhayne smiled as she scooped water out of the trough with the flacon.