Published by Evernight Publishing at Smashwords
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Anna Keraleigh
ISBN: 978-1-77130-401-6
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Melissa Hosack
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To my editors at Evernight Publishing. You girls are bright, sparkly gems. Thanks for making Addicted to Adella shine!
ADDICTED TO ADELLA
Romance on the Go
Anna Keraleigh
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
And a Dead Man Makes Three
I had the worst taste in men. Seriously, it was almost funny the way men I liked turned out. This was no exception. Of course, this was one of the worst so far. Shit, I hoped this was the worst ever. I took another deep breath; blonde bangs too long without a cut hindered my view. What the hell was I going to do? I looked down at Micah.
Two fucking months of hot sex and he suddenly turned. The bastard hit me. He actually raised his hand and slapped me, then told me to shut the fuck up. When he ordered me to get him a rehydrated meal, I did, along with a sonic screwdriver. I was just going to threaten him, honestly, maybe pop a hole in the wrapped meal, but he grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. In the struggle, the screwdriver went deep into his chest. Warm liquid covered my shaking hands and then Micah was one hundred and seven five lean pounds of dead weight.
I paced the room. The blood still covered my hands. What was I going to do? He was lying on the floor exactly how I left him – very, very dead. It was self-defense but on the Plant Ulla Major, women were always at fault. I hated this planet! In all the colonized planets of the quadrant, why did I have to be born here? I kept pacing. There was only one thing I could do. Only one person would get me out of this mess, I hoped.
I glanced at the telecommunication watch on my wrist. “Call Sally.”
“Calling Sally.” It replied like a good little drone.
“Adella?” She answered immediately, her voice sugar sweet and breathless.
“Sally...are you secure?” A soft click sent our conversation into a secure line. “I fucked up.”
“Well, that’s nothing new. Who’s the idiot and where do I have to pick you up?”
Sally knew me too well. We’ve been friends since childhood, and we were the only two girls in our school that opted for Space Flight training. In two more years, I’d have my license and I could fly right off this moon. “You don’t understand,” I said as tears sprung to my eyes. Sally had been my friend, my confident, and my secret keeper. Did I really want to make her my partner in crime? She would be as guilty as I would.
“Adella?” Suddenly her voice hitched. “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Tears spilled down my cheeks now as I looked down at that bastard. “No, no I’m not. I need you, please, I need you!” A rush of tears accompanied the last three words.
“Okay, calm down, I’m on my way.”
I heard the sound of a ship’s engine purr.
“Do you have your location chip on? I can beam you on board.” She suggested in a rush.
I didn’t know if I should. Maybe I should just call the authorities. Would they believe me? Would it matter? I’d be stuck on that damn prison planet and never leave. “I don’t know!” I said as my breath hitched and more tears poured down my face.
“Shit, I’m coming! I’m coming.” I heard the panic in Sally’s voice but couldn’t bring myself together to explain.
I whipped tears away, angry at my lack of control.
“Location locked.” Sally interrupted by thoughts. “Transporting in...five, four, three, two, one, now.”
The world around me phased out of existence. Lights and images blurred until a warm cocoon enveloped me. I closed my eyes or else I’d lose my stomach contents from the speed. My feet lifted off the ground and suddenly were back down. The warmth faded and I opened my eyes.
I was onboard Sally’s Cargo ship and she came running at me full speed. Her long black hair flew behind her as she charged. Her pale skin looked pasty as she saw my blood covered hands. Still she wrapped her arms around me and hugged tight.
“I’m so sorry...” I began but the words were muffled against her shoulder. She was nearly five inches taller than my tiny five feet.
“Four-Five-Two, Take us out of here now.” Sally directed the computer and the ship lurched into action.
“But...but...” I shouldn’t have called. She’d be an accomplice. “Sally, I killed him.” The minute the declaration left my lips, what I did kicked in. It finally settled in my brain that I took another human’s life. This was not war. This was not a criminal. I took the life of my unarmed, bastard of a boyfriend.
“Who?” Sally said quietly. She placed her hands on my cheeks and we locked eyes. “Micah?”
I could only nod.
“Four-Five-Two, take us to far orbit.” Sally instructed the AI of her cargo space ship.
“No, Sally, they’ll think we’re running.”
She looked me in the eyes, her facial features hard but at the same time beautiful. “We are running.”
Chapter Two
Big Bang and I Don’t Mean Getting Laid
I couldn’t understand how my life had gotten so complicated. My job at the Cargo station was a joke. I lived in an apartment on the one thousandth floor of a crappy building. All I had was my looks and my clean record. Now it would be plastered red with murderer and a fugitive status. I glanced out the small port window as the planet floated further and further away. My life might have sucked but now I’d managed to ruin the life of my best friend, my only friend. Why the hell did I get Sally involved?
“You okay?” The woman in question came in through the open door with a steaming cup of something. It smelt like synthetic hot chocolate.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you so involved. I was just so scared.” I took the drink as Sally sat beside me. We were in her bedroom, the only room on board. The two chairs faced the porthole where the planet was still fading away.
“I’m glad you called me,” she said. “You know you can trust me. I’ll get us far enough away so they’ll never find you. Maybe even the next quadrant if we have to.”
“But what about your life? Your family?” My parents were no longer alive, but she still had family and I’d just pulled her away from them.
“You really think mom wouldn’t back me up with this decision?” Sally said with a snort.
Yeah, Sally’s mom was just as wonderful as her daughter was. “Where are we going?”
“I’m thinking toward the outer rim. There’s Plunker’s Moon. It’s a little run down but we’d be safe. This planet’s forces would have no jurisdiction to grab us from there.”
“You’d be on the run on a derelict planet just for me? How did I get such a great friend?” I was truly stumped.
There was a quick frown on Sally’s face, which was replaced by a grin, but that light didn’t reach her eyes. “It’ll be an adventure. Remember when we used to troll the space market?” They both let out a giggle. “We had some wild times there.”
“Hell yeah, that creepy blue dude almost snatched us onto his ship. Then there was the time we almost got caught stealing t
hat guy’s money.” I finished. They really did have some fantastic adventures as kids. So, this would be an adult adventure. “Are you sure? You could drop me off and go back to your good job...”
“Or my lonely apartment?” Sally interrupted. “I have enough quads stashed to pay for a new house and keep us comfortable until we find alternative methods for currency. Don’t you worry, Adella. You’re my best friend and I’ve always got your back.”
I was touched. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. Our breasts touch and for the first time in my life, a little thrill ricocheted through my body. What the hell was that? I pulled away, trying to be inconspicuous as she sat back down. “Plunker’s Moon it is.”
* * * *
The planet was finally out of view. The stars and dark, deadly space filled the port window. I still stared out.
Sally had gotten into the big bed a few moments ago and was snoring ever so slightly. The crazy day was at an end but I still couldn’t sleep. I kept seeing Micah’s face, the anger, his eye squinting and his teeth grinding together. His hands had been on my throat, wrapped around the delicate column. He didn’t apply any pressure, but I hadn’t given him a chance to. I panicked and the screwdriver was thrust forward. I could still see the shock on his face, his plump lips parting and his eyes going wide. Yes, I felt guilty but also proud. That man would not hurt anyone again. Of course, with my home planet, it would be my fault and I’d get stuck with the prison sentence.
Maybe Plunker’s Moon would be best and if Sally stayed, we could always find some semblance of happiness. I stood and stretched my arms into the air. “Four-Five-Two, dim lights.” The lights lowered until the room had a candlelit glow. I pulled off the robe I’d been wearing since that hot shower washed off the blood and moved to the bed. I was wearing the same sleepwear as Sally, black shorts and a black tank top.
For some reason, I was antsy to get into bed. Maybe it was that left over adrenaline, or the guilt. I pulled the sheet back and lay in bed. We had bunked together so many times in the past, but for some reason I shifted to the edge of the bed. Again, I blamed it on the day’s events.
In moments, my lids grew heavy and a dreamless sleep brought peace.
****
There was a small push on the mattress and I slowly opened my eyes. I stretched my legs wide but stopped. My eyes jerked completely open as my legs touched something warm and silky. I became aware of another body, a presence behind me. An arm was slung over my hip and the subtle curves of a woman hugged my ass. Sally was spooning me.
It was an odd and confusing realization. Did my best friend do this intentionally or was it just the result of lying in bed together? I shifted slightly. Sally’s hand was excessively close to that smooth spot between my legs. The thought sent a sliver of thrill through her body. “Um, Sally?” There was a soft intake of breath and suddenly the body behind me stiffened. Sally didn’t say anything. She pulled back and I turned to face her.
“Morning, sunshine.”
Sally gave a small smile. “Hey, how you feeling?”
“Human,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “I can’t believe yesterday was real. We’re on the run from the law for murder, Sally.”
She reached out a hand and placed it on my shoulder. “It finally sunk in, huh?”
I nodded. Even if we managed to disappear on Plunker’s moon things would never again be the same. “I know we said it’s going to be an adventure but...you really could just leave me. I feel bad that—”
“Enough.” Sally sat up, a frown etched on her face. She stood, stretching and I suddenly noticed her breasts. Sally wasn’t wearing a bra. I quickly looked away as she began talking. “I’m going with you. Nothing you say will change that fact. So stop with the guilt trip.”
“I just feel responsible, to blame for ruining...”
“You’re not ruining my life.” Sally walked over to the door and it opened with a whoosh. “I’m going with you and that’s that.”
“Fine,” I said just as Sally left the room. What was her problem? I was just trying to give my best friend a way out of this crazy mess. There was no need for her to get irritated. I stood, shuffled to the door, and watched Sally slip into the shower stall. Again, my mind went into a naughty place. Maybe it wasn’t just yesterday. Maybe I just needed to get laid. “You think they have any hot guys on that planet?” I asked and settled into the stall directly across from Sally. The glass was blurred so all we could see of each other was the neck up.
Sally turned toward me. Her black hair was plastered against her scalp. “I have no idea. Didn’t you learn your lesson from the last relationship?”
I frowned and began stripping off my clothes. I pulled my shorts and shirt off then hit the switch. A fine cleansing mist began straying out of the nozzles. “You’d think I would have learned my lesson. I think I just need to get laid.”
Sally snorted. “You’re always looking to get laid.”
I grinned. She was right. “Hey, women are the only creatures known in the universe to have multiply orgasms. What’s wrong with taking advantage of that?” The mist swarmed over my skin and dampened my golden locks. I rested my hand on the glass stall and let the mist clean my flesh.
Sally faced me. She was moving around, probably getting dress. “But you pick men that aren’t worth a half a quad.”
“It ain’t my fault I like the bad boys.” The mist stopped and I felt the gentle breeze of the drying cycle. My nipples hardened and I pressed them against the cold glass. “Although, that does always end in disaster.”
“Considering you’re on the run from the law...I’d say so.” Sally shook her head then opened the door.
I couldn’t help but glance at Sally’s body. I’d never noticed her perfect hourglass figure or the way her bra hugged her breasts. She wasn’t well endowed in the tit area, but the entire breast should fit perfectly in my hand.
I looked away and began pulling my new bra and panties from the wall slot. My skin was hot as I slipped them on and up. “You think I should start looking at the good guys. The farmers or office workers?” I snorted, as if that would ever happen. Then I opened the door and stepped out. We stood in front of the large mirror with our bodies clad in lingerie. It was slinky, kinky, and it made my body tingle. “I really do need to get laid.” I muttered.
Sally grinned beside me. “No, I don’t mean office workers...or trash ship workers or even that guy in the next apartment that grows weeds.”
“Medical herbs,” I said with a grin and turned to face Sally.
“Whatever. The point is you need to open your eyes.” She faced me.
My eyes traveled without thought to the graceful pair of black panties that hugged Sally’s hips and cupped the mound between her legs.
“Sometimes love could be standing right in front of you.”
“What does that mean?” Seriously, what the hell was Sally trying to say?
“Captain, emergency.”
Sally instantly straightened. “Explain emergency, Four-Five-Two?” She shuffled into her pants.
I glanced and got the biggest thrill of my life. I managed to catch a peek of that soft mound as Sally placed her legs in the pants. What the hell was wrong with me? Now I was checking out my best friend’s crotch!
“Emergency alert on all stations: Fugitive wanted for murder: Adella Perski. Fugitive wanted for assisting murderer: Sally Nupson. Escape vessel wanted: Model 49452, Classified Cargo ship, Pin number 072252.”
“Fuck.” Sally shoved the shirt over her chest. “Turn off all beckons, scan the immediate area for vessels.”
“Your pin is my birthday.” That’s why the numbers were so familiar. I thought it over in my head but couldn’t believe that Sally had actually used my birthday for such an important number.
Sally ignored me. She shoved on her boots and hauled her ass out the door.
That was it! I was done with the cryptic code and no answers. I shoved my legs in a pair of black pants and jammed my
feet into matching boots. I grabbed the shirt and ran out the door in just my bra with golden hair flowing about my face.
“Vessel discovered.” The AI informed.
I ran faster, moved out the door. My boots slammed against the steel of the floor as I ran through the hall. The ship wasn’t that big and I knew exactly where Sally was going. Too bad my breast decided to pop out of my bra. I cursed, pushing it back into the cup as I kept my sped. With all the technology in 2082 why the hell didn’t we have bra’s that fit properly?
Sally was at the control deck. She frowned as she fuddled with some buttons. “Any communication, Four-Five-Two?”
“None.” It answered instantly.
I slid into the control room gasping. “Is it the Major Force?” If the law had caught up already, we were space ice.
She slowly shook her head. “It looks like a transport vessel. There’s no hails, no weapons spike...” Sally trailed off.
I stumbled to her side, my breath finally starting to return. “We’re okay?”
“I think so...” Once again, she trailed off. This time she was glancing at me.
“What?” I looked down and to my horror, my breast once again roamed free. They weren’t that damn big to be popping out over a little jog. Stupid bra. I frowned and covered the hardened bud with my palm. Great, add that to my list of things that were just sucking ass this week. Sally reached over and, to my shock, her fingers pinched the hard nipple that peaked out through my fingers. Did she just...
“I’m sorry.” Sally mumbled and looked away. “No. You know what, I’m not sorry.” Suddenly, the only person I trusted in the entire universe turned to me with wide eyes. “I love you.”
Addicted to Adella Page 1
