by Liz Craven
Lia downed the water in record time. She set the empty bottle beside her on the table before standing. She took a step towards the lav, before pausing to glance over her shoulder at the guards. “You aren’t planning to join me in the lav, are you?”
“No ma’am, not unless we believe you are in trouble.”
Lia nodded, not completely reassured. “I’m pretty certain I can use the lav without needing assistance.”
She opted for a sonic shower, fearing the guards would decide she’d taken too long and burst in to rescue her from a watery deluge. The devil in her suggested sauntering out of the lav naked and giving the guards an eyeful for the satisfaction of pissing Talon off, but she couldn’t get past her modesty. Maybe next time.
Lia emerged from the lav and tried not to limp, her muscles already stiffening from the punishment she’d inflicted with that full-out two-hour run. She found Ilexa setting plates at the two-seater table tucked into the corner of the living area. The guards stood motionless on each side of the door.
“Didn’t you eat with…everyone?” Lia asked, catching herself before saying “Talon.”
“Talon’s sniping spoiled my appetite,” Ilexa replied, sitting across from Lia and removing the silver cover from the salver.
Lia loaded her plate with eggs, bread and fruit. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Drink the figila juice. It will replace your electrolytes.”
“Yes, healer,” Lia teased.
Ilexa waited until Lia had taken a drink before asking, “Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Talon?”
For a moment, Lia considered the offer. Pouring her fears and bruised emotions out to another woman tempted her. She thought better of it, remembering this woman called Talon brother, and two guards stood just inside the door.
“I don’t think so,” Lia finally said.
Ilexa chewed a forkful of eggs and looked thoughtful. Swallowing, she said, “Obviously the two of you had a fight, and Talon’s clearly to blame.”
“What makes you say that?”
“That Talon’s to blame?” Ilexa waved her hand dismissively. “When he’s mad at someone else, he takes on that superior-than-thou attitude. When he’s mad at himself, Big Brother gets pissy.”
Lia almost choked on her juice. She couldn’t believe the ethereal Ilexa said “pissy”. “He does?”
“Trust me. I’ve known him my whole life. He knows he’s wrong and feels guilty. He’ll bend over backwards to make it up to you. And if it’s unforgivable,” she sniffed, haughtily. “I’ll help you hide the body.”
Lia let out a startled laugh. “That’s aiding and abetting.”
“Not unless they catch us,” Ilexa replied with a conspiratorial wink. “Now, tell me about your pirate friends. I can’t wait to meet them.”
—
Talon returned to his quarters after dinner. He and his men had taken apart every fact and piece of evidence related to the attempts on Lia’s life, studying them for hours on end. Still, they were no closer to unmasking the traitor. The entire day had been a waste.
He couldn’t remember ever being more exhausted in his life. Worry and fear ate at him while his rage burned coldly at the very idea someone would threaten what was his.
And the day wasn’t over yet. He still had to talk to his very angry wife.
Talon wearily rubbed his forehead. She had every right to be angry with him. He still didn’t believe what he’d said. Comparing his wife to his previous lovers, in any manner… Most women would merely castrate him for the insult. Prophetess only knew what his fiery wife would do to him.
He found her curled up on the chaise, engrossed in a handheld reader. She wore a pair of loose-fitting charcoal trousers and a clingy, royal blue shirt that hugged her full breasts. A strange satisfaction at finding her in his quarters filled him, coupled with a sense of disappointment when she pointedly ignored him.
He dropped into the chair across from the chaise and studied her for a silent moment. Her shallow breathing indicated her awareness of his presence, but she pretended to be engrossed in her reading.
Too tired for subtlety, Talon took the direct approach. “I apologize for my thoughtless words this morning. No bride should be carelessly confronted by her husband’s past liaisons, much less compared to them in any manner.”
Lia lifted cool eyes that shone more blue than gold. “Nothing to apologize for. I’m not green enough to believe you were a monk while I was missing. We both have our pasts.”
With that dismissive statement, she returned to her reading. Talon scowled at the mention of her past. How many lovers had she taken? How dare those bastards touch his wife? Fury pounded like a war drum in his ears.
“Perhaps we should discuss our respective pasts,” he said ominously.
Lia lowered her pad and studied him coolly. “You first. How old were you when you lost your virginity? What was her name? How many lovers have you had? How many one-night stands have you had? Who was the best and why?”
Talon gaped at her, unable to respond to the barrage of questions. He’d never considered himself prudish, but for the life of him, he couldn’t bring himself to discuss the details of extramarital activities with his wife.
She stared at him, looking calculatedly cold with her arched eyebrows raised. His mind turned the questions over, and he wondered how she’d answer them.
Jealousy licked along his skin like flames and the primal need to stake his claim wouldn’t abate. “Maybe I should ask you the same,” he growled.
“I asked you first,” she shot back.
The taunt snipped the fragile thread of Talon’s temper, and he closed the space between them in a blink of an eye, shoving the coffee table out of the way. He braced a hand on both arms of the chaise and leaned close.
She shrank back, warily eyeing his predatory expression. Her taunting demeanor effectively erased.
“Be careful. You’re playing with fire,” he warned.
She swallowed visibly. “Clichés don’t frighten me.”
Talon’s gaze dropped to her mouth. Her pink tongue darted out, an unconscious, nervous response that further inflamed his desire. “I don’t want you to be frightened,” he murmured, before his mouth swooped down to capture hers.
Unlike their previous kisses, Talon showed her no gentleness. This time, his mouth demanded, dominated, commanded her surrender.
Her mouth opened on a gasp, and he took immediate advantage. His tongue invaded her mouth, forcing her surrender.
He savored her taste, reminded of the freshness of air following a violent storm. She moaned into his mouth, and he felt the vibration all the way down to his toes.
Talon lowered his body carefully onto his wife’s. He let his chest skim against the hardened nipples beneath her clingy shirt. He insinuated a knee between her legs and pressed his groin against the apex of her thighs.
She whimpered, and he gloried in her surrender. His base instincts demanded he make her his.
Suddenly, her hands slid between their bodies, and for a moment, Talon reveled in the aggressive act. It took a moment for the sexual haze surrounding his mind to part enough for him to register she was pushing against his chest.
He pulled back, and she rolled off the chaise, knocking him into the coffee table he’d moved.
“What the—” He ground out.
Lia glared at him. “You may bed anything in a skirt, but I have standards.”
Aroused and furious, Talon watched his wife stomp to the lav—undoubtedly locking herself in.
—
Lia sank to the floor, her back propped against the door. As her breathing slowed, her actions registered. She’d locked herself in the lav.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Why in all the hells hadn’t she left their quarters? Sure, the guards would have followed her, but she could have gone anywhere aboard ship. But no, she had to lock herself in the lav, trapping herself. She briefly wondered if
there was a support group for women who turned stupid when kissed.
Lia pulled her knees up and rested her forehead against them. Taunting Talon hadn’t been the smartest thing she’d ever done. Neither was telling him she had a “past”. Pickings had been slim on Tmesis, and none of the miners had ever turned her head. By the sheer grace of the gods, she’d avoided rape at the hands of various Guildsmen, though she’d had several close calls.
Her first real kisses—she refused to count those forced on her—came from Talon. Given the way her bones melted when the man was in the same room, she doubted she’d be able to hold out against him very long. Now the man would expect her to know what she was doing. It was worry over her lack of skill that allowed her to regain control of her senses and break that devastating kiss on the chaise.
Pride and embarrassment would keep her from disclosing her virginity to him. She’d either have to find the strength to resist him or bluster her way through future encounters. Of course, first she had to get herself out of the lav.
While she tried to think of a way out that would allow her to save face, the passage of time caused her bottom to go numb from sitting on the cold, hard floor. A knock on the door finally broke her concentration.
“Are you planning to spend the night in there?” Talon voice drifted through the door, and she heard the underlying amusement.
“As a matter of fact, I am,” she snapped back and could have bitten her tongue off. Talon had given her the perfect opportunity to leave the lav. All she’d had to do was stand up, open the door, tell him “no”, and leave their quarters. But once again, her temper had circumvented her thought process.
“Lia come out of the lav.”
“No.” No one could accuse her of backing down from her principals. No matter how stupid the principal in question.
“Will you come out if I promise not to kiss you again?”
Hell no. She didn’t want that promise. “You think too highly of yourself.”
“How about if I promise to sleep on the chaise?” He still sounded amused.
“I’m perfectly fine in here.” She wasn’t, but couldn’t seem to keep her foot out of her mouth.
“I could override the lock and drag you out of there.” Now, he sounded exasperated.
“Go ahead and try it. I guarantee you won’t like the results.”
“Fine. Sleep in the tub, then.”
Lia heard his footsteps recede and began to beat her forehead against her knees. No doubt about it. Her IQ had fallen below that of plant life. She’d have to spend the night in the lav, and she had no one to blame but herself.
She pulled out all the towels and fashioned a makeshift bed between the toilet and the sink. Bunching up a towel to serve as a pillow, Lia lay down and tried to find a comfortable position. Her pallet on Tmesis provided more comfort than the lav floor. The grooves between the tiles pinched at her skin through the towels, imprinting a pattern she knew would still be there in the morning.
Finally, she settled into a semi-tolerable position, but the walls of the small space seemed to press inward, and she found it hard to breathe. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lia concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths. This was a bathroom for crying out loud, not a collapsed mine tunnel.
Thinking of the mines made Lia homesick for the simple life she had left behind. Her hand ran along the site of her healing injury, and her mind turned inward, remembering her last hours in the mine.
Lynaya’s words floated through her mind. “Prepare yourself. Your time has come.”
Lia stretched against the hard tile, winced and rolled over. Great. Her time had come.
Chapter Thirteen
Lia joined the others for breakfast. She knew her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. Her right hand massaged the crick in her neck. Talon pulled her chair from the table without a word. She took her seat, refusing to acknowledge him.
The others joined them at the table. Ilexa broke the standard seating arrangement, taking the chair next to Lia. “You’re out of balance…physically misaligned. If you’d allow me, I can help you regain your equilibrium after breakfast.”
“She’ll allow it,” Talon replied, giving Lia a warning look.
Lia gritted her teeth against a sharp retort. She’d been about to accept Ilexa’s offer when her high-handed husband stepped in. Though tempted to refuse out of spite, she managed to control her temper. She nodded politely to Ilexa, before covertly shooting Talon a venomous look. The jerk had the audacity to look surprised.
“If it is a matter of balance, perhaps we should resume Ngäkau,” Vardin suggested.
Ilexa nodded. “I believe that’s a good idea, but not until tomorrow, after she is better rested.”
“Very well,” Vardin responded.
The way they talked around her, annoyed Lia, but she was too tired to work up any indignation.
“If you feel up to it, maybe we can visit your pirate friends again today,” Ilexa suggested.
Talon and Thane turned matching scowls on the two women.
“You visited those criminals?” Thane demanded.
Talon leaned back in his chair and addressed Lia. “When did you see them?”
“I didn’t see them,” Lia replied, forking up a bite of egg. She let irritation infuse her voice. “Security wouldn’t allow it.”
“The soldiers assured us we would be able to visit Captain Brisby and his crew today. I’m especially looking forward to meeting Tico,” Ilexa added.
“Who is Tico?” Thane asked.
“He’s the captain’s pet,” Lia explained. “Tico’s a bald desert ferret. They’re quite smart, you know.”
“The away team actually rescued a ferret?” Caden asked, incredulous.
“You didn’t expect they would leave a poor, innocent creature behind?” Ilexa demanded.
Lia’s lips twitched at the thought of Tico being a poor, innocent creature. The small creature had big innocent eyes that hid a mind more cunning than Brisby’s.
Caden chose to ignore Ilexa’s question. He turned to Talon. “I’m not sure the Damaia should be associating with pirates.”
Lia rolled her eyes. Caden hadn’t been on the bridge when she’d insisted they rescue the pirate and his crew. She doubted he’d take her “association” with them very well.
“I believe that speeder has already left the docking bay,” Talon told him. His face remained impassive, but Lia sensed his underlying irritation with the young soldier.
She frowned, not liking she was becoming attuned to Talon. “Lex and I will visit Captain Brisby and his crew after breakfast,” she announced, hoping the authoritative tone would forestall any further debate on the subject. She should have known better.
“After the healing session,” Ilexa interjected.
“I’d rather see my friends first,” Lia stated firmly.
Caden gasped in shock. “Friends? Damaia, you shouldn’t romanticize these people. They are dangerous criminals. You should avoid them at all costs. In fact, Captain Artrane should not have brought that trash aboard with you here. N’yota should demand his removal from service for this outrage.”
Lia arched a brow. “The captain acted on my orders when he brought ‘that trash’ aboard. I consider Brisby and his crew family, and you will treat them as such.”
Caden’s jaw dropped, revealing a mouthful of half-chewed eggs. Lia dismissed the arrogant little prick and turned back to Ilexa. “Be careful around Tico. He’ll con you out of any piece of food or shiny object you have.”
“If he’s as cute as you say, he can have anything he wants,” Ilexa replied.
“I’m not sure he’s going to get along with Asha,” Talon put in.
Lia smiled at him for the first time since their fight. “Actually, in that contest, I’d put my money on Tico. But you’re probably right. I’ll make sure they stay separated.”
The conversation turned to mundane issues about the voyage, and Lia let it flow around her while she ate in silence. Whe
n she and Ilexa finally escaped, Vardin joined them. Lia hadn’t seen Talon order the Inderian to guard her with the pirates, but she didn’t doubt he had somehow done it.
—
“Checkmate,” Ilexa said with a smile, moving her bishop on the tri-level chessboard.
Brisby leaned back in his chair with an almost comical look of surprise on his face. His crew looked downright shocked at the ease of Ilexa’s win. Out of respect for the aging pirate, Lia swallowed her laugh. Though she might look like spun-candy, her sister-in-law had won a fourth game against one of the system’s most brilliant strategists.
Tico leapt across the table from his perch on Brisby’s shoulder. Standing up on his back paws, he caught Ilexa’s face between his paws and chattered excitedly at her.
“Aren’t you darling?” Ilexa cooed.
Tico dropped his paws from her face, and scrambled up to her shoulder. Ilexa smiled when the small animal began to rub his face against hers. She continued to murmur to Tico as he deftly removed her earrings and tucked them into the small harness he wore.
Lia shook her head. Her sister-in-law had an abundance of beauty, grace and intelligence, but she had the street smarts of a newborn.
Happy with his newly acquired loot, Tico scampered back to Brisby’s shoulder.
Falk, Brisby’s first mate, relaxed in a chair where he had watched the game. Now that the match was over, he turned his attention to Lia. “So, our little space monkey has her own planet.”
Guilt at the having deceived her rescuers pierced her heart. She shoved it aside. “I need to talk to you about that. You only have diplomatic immunity until we reach N’yota. After that, you are fair game. If you choose to stay on N’yota, I can grant you a pardon, but my jurisdiction only extends to N’yota’s borders.
“We’d have to stay planetside?” Brisby sneered.
“At least think about staying for a little while,” Lia suggested.
Brisby grunted and Lia hoped that meant he’d consider it, but she doubted it. The man needed the stars at his feet like most needed oxygen.
Her reunion with the crew of the Dawn Rider had been bittersweet, dredging up memories of the freedom and fun she’d had during her two years with them. Those years had been the best of her life, and she cherished their gruff affection.
