by Lori Foster
Mallet shrugged. “But I wasn’t.”
His cavalier attitude almost caused her exasperation to boil over. “Is this how we work a partnership? You sneak off without me?”
“I didn’t sneak,” Mallet lied. “I wanted to look around, familiarize myself with your colony, and I just ended up this way.”
Unconvinced, she glared daggers at him.
Time for an offense, Mallet decided. “Why were you sneaking up on me anyway?” He moved closer as he spoke. “What if you’d startled me and I went over the side of this damn hill?”
“You’d likely have broken something.” She said that as if it didn’t matter to her. “And then I would have had to repair you again.”
“Yeah, we never really discussed that, did we?” Glad for a new topic, he kept walking until she was near enough for him to touch. “How’d you, ah, repair me the first time?”
Her gaze turned wary. “Hauk did it during transportation.”
“No shit?” He put an arm around her and led her with him as he searched for the easiest route down to the valley. “Hauk is a damned medic, too?”
“No.” She slipped away from his hold. “This is one of those things that, while I understand the end result, I don’t entirely comprehend the specifics of how it actually works.”
“Give it a shot anyway.”
Shrugging, she bent and plucked a beautiful blue wildflower growing from between two rocks. “During transport you are entirely under Hauk’s control. Across airwaves or something, he sends nano-pulses throughout your system. They detect all damage, feed the information back to Hauk, and with those same pulses, he directs an electrical charge at healthy cells to activate at a highly accelerated pace, healing bone, tissue, ligaments … whatever.”
“So the health rate here must be something, huh?”
“We get our fair share of illnesses, which are treated by physicians and lesser, yet still competent, computer systems. But they’re all plugged into Hauk, so he monitors all activity to ensure correct diagnoses. Whenever damage is severe, Hauk intercedes and does what he can. But some injuries can’t be corrected.”
“Like?”
She stared out at the horizon. “A failed heart. Limbs that have been too long severed. Decapitation.”
“Good God, you have beheadings here?”
Her gaze came back to meet his. “Such hasn’t happened in a long time.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” Mallet took the flower and tucked it behind her ear. He smiled, liking how pretty that looked, how pretty she looked. “Let’s get that package now.”
After holding her hand, he started to take a cautious step over the edge, and Kayli snatched him back. “Are you insane? We can’t climb down.”
“Sure we can. We just need to be careful.” He expected her to appreciate his consideration in including her. Given the treachery of the climb, he’d have preferred for her to wait around until he returned.
Or better still, not had her there at all.
But she was here, and already piqued, so he hoped to coax her out of her sour mood.
“We’ll take the aircycle.” She pulled away from him and went to the floating vehicle. She swung one leg over the narrow seat and then, as if by magic, glided over toward him. “Get on.”
Mallet eyed the slight framework, the delicate handles. “Yeah, uh, I kind of doubt that thing will hold me.” It looked to be made of some very thin type of aluminum. “If I put my weight on there, we’ll both end up mired in the mud.”
Kayli looked him in the eyes, and said by way of a challenge, “Trust me.”
“A dare!” He grinned at her, liking how she’d chosen to test him. “You’re saying it’ll hold us both, and still get us where we want to go?”
“Without any difficulty.”
“All right, lady.” He stepped over and straddled the seat, hesitated, and then eased down. The cycle didn’t move. “So far so good, but if I get dumped on the hillside, I’m blaming you.”
“Lift your feet onto the running boards and hold on to me.”
“No problem with that.” He settled his feet alongside hers until his long legs caged her in. The position put her firm butt snug against his crotch. Choking down a groan, he slipped one arm around her waist, far enough to open his hand on her trim midriff. Beneath his palm, her muscles tensed. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
She smiled, and vaulted them forward—and over the hillside.
To his credit, Mallet didn’t shout at the unexpected sensation of falling headfirst off a cliff. He did hug Kayli a little tighter, hoping to protect her with his body when they dumped.
But they didn’t.
Staying close to the ground, darting and tilting to avoid rocks and small bushes, she wove her way down the hill—all without once jarring him from his seat.
It was … exhilarating. The wind in his face, the scent of nature, the scent of Kayli wrapped in his arms.
Leaning forward, Mallet put his nose to her nape. God Almighty, she was delicious, smelling just as fresh and pure as the outdoors, but stirring him on a much deeper level.
He closed his eyes, thinking what it’d be like once he claimed her as his own, once he had all the rights of a man in union with his woman.
Waiting wasn’t easy. But he had his reasons, beyond the priorities of the colony.
Kayli didn’t yet understand lust; she didn’t understand her own need, so how could she understand his? Until she did, he knew their first time together would be awkward for her at best, uncomfortable at worst.
He wanted so much for her than that.
He wanted … everything.
“Michael?”
He opened his eyes, and realized they’d stopped. “Hmmm?”
“What do you think? Did you enjoy the ride?”
He’d enjoy riding her more, but bit back that carnal sentiment. “Enough that next time, I want to drive.”
“As soon as you watch the media instruction.”
“I’d rather you teach me.”
“Oh.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, then away. “I could do that.”
“Thanks.” He hugged her, kissed her ear.
“I think you’d enjoy riding above the clouds, too.”
“You can do that with this … what’d you call it?”
“Aircycle, and no. I have a Sky Slider for that. It’s enclosed so that our oxygen is regulated properly. But I love flying up high, especially at night when it almost feels like I’m darting in and around the stars—” She broke off abruptly. “Anyway, if you’d like to take a ride with me sometime, we could fit that in.”
“Definitely.” For whatever reason, he was very turned on by the idea of her sharing new things with him. “I’ll look forward to it.”
To show she was done cuddling, Kayli asked, “Shall I open the package, or will you?”
Stepping off the aircycle, Mallet surveyed the small package, really not much more than a padded envelope. “I’ll do it, just in case it’s booby-trapped somehow.”
“That’s not necessary.” She withdrew a small, blunt pen and clicked a button. “Hauk?”
“So now you want to talk to me?”
She sighed. “What’s in the package?”
“Nothing more dangerous than a note. You don’t need to fear for Mallet. He’ll be fine opening it. But I should point out that it wouldn’t be necessary—”
“Thank you.” She clicked the pen again and put it away, caught Mallet’s curiosity, and said, “A remote connection to Hauk. Through the remote, he can only speak when I allow him to.” She patted the pocket holding the pen. “It’s an indulgence I’m seldom afforded.”
Oh, Hauk just had to love that, Mallet thought with a laugh. Given his lecturing tone before Kayli had shut him down, Hauk didn’t appreciate being silenced in any way. “You’re mad at him?”
“Not at all. I preferred to confront you on your jaunt today without his assistance, that’s all.”
Teasing her
, Mallet said, “You figured he’d take my side again, huh?”
Her expression darkened and she gestured at the package. “If you aren’t going to open that, I will.”
Mallet laughed again. “Patience, lady.” He retrieved the envelope, which was more like folded papers with a colorful seal around them. The seal was something he hadn’t seen before, very different from the lick and stick envelopes of his time. Carefully, he pried it open. There were two thick papers, one blank but waxy, used to protect the contents.
And the other … a brief, handwritten note in a big bold scrawl.
Damn.
Kayli tried to see the note. “What’s the matter? What does it say?”
Mallet handed it to her, but didn’t wait for her to read it. “Next time, he wants two women instead of just one.”
“That fiend!” Kayli scanned the note. Her anger got the best of her and she slapped it back down on the rock. “Two. He’d soon rob us of all available women.”
“Until you had nothing left to offer but warriors. I’m wondering if that’s not his plan.” He sat down on the rock and studied Kayli as she fumed. “He took the sacrifice without a single suspicion.”
“Good.” She edged closer, distracted in some odd way. “It probably won’t take him long to discover that we substituted an AFA for a human, though.”
“We don’t know that. If he doesn’t try to force her, then how would he tell? I sure as hell can’t. We did equip her with the right parts, more or less. She has enough of a …” Mallet coughed, searching for appropriate words. “Um … female façade, that unless he gets into the nitty-gritty—”
Kayli shot him a hot look.
“—we should be able to buy some time.”
She propped a hip beside him on the big rock. “It’s a good plan, Michael.”
He looked up at the bright sun, still high in the sky. “Unless he rapes her.” An uneasiness crept over him. How pissed would the guy be when he realized he’d been duped? Would the other women, already kept captive, be in danger? “But hell, even then he might not notice.”
“You’re jesting.”
Mallet shrugged. “Rape isn’t about paying attention. It’s about dominating and abusing.” Thinking what the other sacrifices might have suffered, his hands fisted. “Any bastard twisted enough to rape isn’t someone I’d count on being real astute.”
Her hand slid over his. “Then let’s hope he doesn’t force any of them. In the meantime, we’ll begin preparing for his return.”
Her touch had a gentling effect that almost scared him. No one had ever gotten to him that way before. He turned his hand and opened it to lace his fingers with her. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Making me feel a little better about this.” Jesus, he was so new to all of it, he felt like a blind man trying to find his way through broken glass. It was so hard for him to understand, much less follow their ways.
In his time, he’d have called the cops and let them handle it all. But here, everyone relied on him.
And if he screwed up, it could hurt Kayli, and that was something he didn’t dare contemplate.
He felt her smiling at him.
“What?”
She lifted one shoulder. “You’ll be pleased to know that your announcement about recruiting males has reached the general masses.”
“Yeah?” Another rebel cause on his part. But damn it, surely other men, even futuristic dudes, felt as he did—they’d want to protect their women … wouldn’t they? “How’d they take it?”
“They’ve been volunteering ever since you snuck off.”
Relief, and something more, filled him. It was Kayli’s smile doing the trick.
“Woman.” Mallet pulled her onto his lap. “I did not sneak.”
“Of course you did.” Losing her humor, she touched his face with cool fingertips and deep gravity. “But please, Michael, it’s not necessary. If you want to be without me, I’d prefer that you tell me so, not leave me to find out from others.”
Who had told her? Had it embarrassed her, to be left in the dark? “Okay, so you want it up front, point-blank, huh?”
“I want us to be honest with each other, yes.”
His grin came, further lightening his mood while also setting a spark to his constantly burning lust. “All right.” He smoothed a thumb over her cheek. So damn soft. “I do need time away from you every now and then. But not for the reason you think.”
“What reason then?”
“I want you pretty fucking bad.” There was plain speaking for her. “Always. More every minute because being around you only sharpens the edge of lust.”
Her lashes flickered; her lips trembled.
She tempted him without even trying.
Mallet inhaled for control, and reminded himself of his reasons for waiting. “But we’re not in a union yet, are we? And I respect you too much to do anything that might make you ashamed.”
She didn’t say a word, just watched him.
She wanted more? Fine. He’d be happy to give her more. “I’m going to kiss you again.”
Eyes flaring, she started to ease away.
Mallet didn’t let her. “Now, don’t get spooked.”
“No, no, I’m not.” But she continued to strain away from him. “It’s just that I don’t think—”
“Thinking at a time like this is never a good idea.” He slipped his hand under her hair and around her nape, affording him a hold that made controlling her easy. “You need to get used to me, Kayli, to kissing and more, before we go through any union business. I’m already on the ragged edge here. Once I know you’re mine, I’m going to be on a very short fuse.”
Incomprehension filled her gaze.
Mallet laughed at himself. Of course she didn’t understand. How could she? He barely understood.
Throughout his lifetime, he’d had plenty of women, and not once, not even when he’d been a green virgin fumbling around in the dark at a drive-in theater, had he been so lost to control.
Kayli was special. He knew it, and she needed to know it, too. “Come here,” he said as he encouraged her closer.
“Michael …”
“Shhh.” He gazed at her mouth. God, she had a pretty mouth. “Just relax and don’t fight me.” As she stilled, he said, “It’s only a kiss, that’s all. No big deal for a warrior, I promise.”
Her lips parted—either to protest or for a deeper breath—and he took advantage. He didn’t push her, keeping the kiss light and easy, but he tasted her, slipping just the tip of his tongue over her lush bottom lip.
“Damn.” The taste of her, the heat of her mouth …
She clutched one hand to his shirt.
That was encouragement enough for him. Putting his mouth more firmly over hers, Mallet deepened the kiss. She leaned into him, flattening her breasts to his chest, her breath coming fast and hot.
His hand opened over her back, spanning the breadth of her shoulder blades, then coasted down, tracing her spine, moving toward that fetching little bottom that he’d already dreamed about.
But just before his fingers encountered that firm flesh, another voice said, “Well, hello you two.”
Mallet lifted his head and found Idola standing there, her blue eyes narrowed, her mouth tipped up in a secret smile of devious satisfaction.
Kayli panted, her gaze first vague with need, then stark with embarrassment. She stiffened in shame.
Well, hell.
CHAPTER 10
HER heart in her throat, her face hot, Kayli addressed her sister. “Idola.” She hated the guilty sound of her voice and strove to subdue it. “What are you doing out here?”
Her sister gave her a snide “caught you” smile. “Mother sent me, but not because she suspected such an intimate tête-à-tête.” The smile disappeared. “There is trouble at the market and you’re needed.”
Kayli tried, and failed, to put space between Michael and her. His hold was so secure that Idola couldn’t mis
s it. It was a hold of possession, and protection.
But Michael couldn’t shield her from her sister’s perception of things. “Trouble? Where we set up for men to volunteer?”
“Yes.” Idola shrugged one bare, rounded shoulder. “Some of the women protest because they don’t want their men involved with the ugliness of defense.” She tilted her head, studying Michael’s embrace with critical disdain. “You should go, and quickly, before things turn more violent.”
Michael nodded. “We’ll leave together.”
“That won’t do, sir.” Idola swayed closer still. “Mother wants to see you.”
Michael’s temper sizzled in the air like the lightning from an imminent storm. “Mother,” he said with insult, “isn’t running the show anymore.”
As Kayli freed herself, she said, “Yes, she is, Michael.” She still understood her duty, even if he didn’t. “She remains our Arbiter, and nothing has changed that.”
He caught her before she could mount the aircycle. “I don’t want you going off by yourself.” Looking pained, he leaned closer to her, his voice barely a whisper. “Not now.”
Kayli put up her chin. She had to make him understand the importance of abiding by their code of conduct. “I see. So despite all the assurances you just made to me, you are already refusing to let me do my job as Claviger?”
He held his position, staring down at her as his features slowly tightened with angry frustration. “Well, God forbid I interfere with your job. Go on then, see to your duty. I’ll catch you later.” His gaze slanted to Idola, and she smiled at him. He shrugged. “Or maybe not.”
From that heated visual exchange, the bottom dropped out of Kayli’s stomach. It took an effort to keep her shoulders straight, her expression haughty.
Would Michael succumb to Idola’s charms? The men of their colony, and even from colonies far away, all wanted her. Idola represented not only extreme beauty and grace, but a legacy of power, a hierarchy, and substantial inheritance.
Idola wouldn’t be confused by Michael’s attentions.
She wouldn’t be intimidated by his masculinity.
She also wouldn’t belittle herself with unseemly physical exchanges outside of a union.
Whatever he did or didn’t do, she had her own obligations to worry about. Kayli looked straight ahead. “That’s fine, then. I have things to attend to anyway.” And with that not-so-great parting shot, she zipped away.
