A Touch of Lilly (12 page)

“
Now
that we know
what
she is and how she controlled the Znedu, she
deserves only one thing,” Thaegan’s yellow eyes were hard
and cold as a luna crystal, “and you know what that is.”

“
I
understand. And we’ll get to that. But you have to promise me
you aren’t going to act,” Dallas waved his hand up and
down, pointing to the madness that thrummed through his partner, “on
whatever the fuck’s come over you.”

“
She’s
come over me,” Thaegan roared, pointing a shaking finger at
Lilly. “You. Are. Just. Not. Understanding.” He looked at
Lilly again, the ridges of his nose deepening as he scented the air.
“Even now she works her powers.” Thaegan turned and
stalked toward the door. “I’ll have to leave her to you.
If I stay
she
will surely push me to the edge of delirium. And
if I don’t release this sexual energy,
I
will surely
lose my mind.” He put his hand on the old-fashioned doorknob,
but didn’t turn it. “I’m just wondering who’s
going to protect
you
when I’m gone.”

“
I
think I can take care of myself against a human female. It’s
not like I haven’t had practice in that arena.” Dallas
forced a laugh.

“
But
she’s not human.” Thaegan pulled the door open. “I’m
not giving you any more time than it takes me to release this sexual
itch and when I return, you better have her ready.” He started
to leave, then turned back to throw one last dig. “Just be sure
she isn’t controlling you,
brother
.”

The
Ka’al slammed the door behind him, the explosive sound nearly
obliterating the mournful note of Lilly’s quiet sobs.

Chapter Six

She
couldn’t stop. The despair came hot and hard, burning her
throat and sending tears running down her cheeks.
She hated to be
so weak
. Lilly should’ve expected their resentment. The
minute the Ka’al had said the word
Seraphelium
Lilly
understood history had reared its ugly head to begin her worst
nightmare all over again.

Despite
the pity in Dallas’ eyes, she feared there wasn’t
anything she could do to alter her future and that scared the living
shit right out of her. Lilly had learned from experience human males
were ruthless creatures when they felt backed into a corner.

“
P-please…”
The word stumbled out on shattered breaths and she inhaled, working
to control the terror threatening to choke her.

Dallas
ignored her plea, stalking out of sight behind her. Water ran from
the faucet at the sink and she heard the man sputter as it splashed.

“
That’s
not the usual Thaegan. You don’t need to worry about him,”
Dallas said quietly.

“
Anything.
I’ll give you anything. Just don’t…” Lilly
couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She’d fought the
good fight on Earth only to find herself alone and trapped on a
Drikspa frigate bound for Krystallos Three. But this was deep space.
It wasn’t as if there would be docking stations with aliens to
seduce. One quick shuttle hop and she’d be imprisoned forever
so deep in the bowels of a whore house there would be no chance of
escape. The hopelessness burned her throat and the backs of her eyes,
bringing on a fresh wave of tears.

Dallas
stepped into view, water dripping from the caramel curls of his hair,
all remnants of blood washed from his face and head. “I’m
not going to hurt you,” he said. “And despite what just
happened—neither is Thaegan.”

She’d
seen the beating the Ka’al had given him, yet the man’s
split lip and swollen eye seemed to have disappeared. Lilly wanted to
ask what the hell was going on with that, but convincing Dallas not
to ship her into sexual slavery trumped whatever secret the human
kept from her.

Swallowing
her trepidation, Lilly found her indignation, allowing it room to
give her strength and shield her in bravery. She didn’t deserve
to be condemned for genetics. It’s not as if she could help who
she was. Lilly had never asked to be given this power over men.
Moments like this just proved once again what a shitty course her
life had taken.

“
You’ve
got me trussed up like a pig and now the Ka’al is ready to send
me to slaughter.” Swallowing her tears, Lilly pulled in a shaky
breath, resolved to get herself free. She would
not
go into
slavery without a fight. She threw back her shoulders, trying to
portray confidence and a cavalier attitude, but only managed to put
her boobs—with their traitorous hard nipples—on display.

Dallas
dragged his eyes down her body, lust darkening the irises until they
were rich as finely aged whiskey and just as smooth. Slow and needy,
his gaze trailed down her naked flesh, leaving gooseflesh in its
wake. Lilly shifted and another wave of her scent filled the air.
Dallas’ nostrils flared.
Good.
A chink in that shiny
armor of his. She’d managed to seduce him once tonight. She
could do it again. As much as she hated being condemned for who she
was, Lilly wasn’t beyond using her gift to save her life.

“
I’m
not sure what you did to him, but Thaegan isn’t himself right
now.” The muscles in Dallas’ jaw ticked as he stepped
closer, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

“
But
Thaegan’s not here right now. There’s only you and
me—alone.”

Dallas
said nothing. He simply shucked off his shirt, the tribal tattoo on
his forearm flexing with the movement. The dusting of hair on his
well-defined chest narrowed to a line that circled his bellybutton
and disappeared into his jeans. She hadn’t had time in the dark
alley to admire the man. He’d felt solid and warm against her,
but their encounter had been about the sex, not learning the fine
details of his body.

And
as much as she admired his torso, the one detail that seemed to be
screaming at her was how remarkably unblemished it was for the
pummeling it had just endured. “Dallas, how is it you’re
even moving? I heard bones break and your face was raw when you got
up from the floor. I mean…what the hell?”

“
Suffice
it to say I’m a wonder of alien medicine.”

She
didn’t understand the cryptic statement, but as Dallas
continued taking slow, measured steps toward her, his eyes locked on
hers, she didn’t really care what he meant. All curiosity over
his healed injuries evaporated as the man’s primal need flared
his nostrils and tented his fly. Refocused, she sent a flux of energy
crackling over her nerves.

Everything
was fair in love and war—and survival.

The
current hummed through her body, tightening her nipples and filling
the air with the musk of her arousal. She needed to use Dallas’
desire as a means to her escape. And she had to do it before Thaegan
returned. Now that the Ka’al had confirmation of what she was,
Lilly had no doubt he wouldn’t get close enough to allow her to
take him down again.

“
Perhaps
you can untie me and we can replay our little adventure in the
alley,” Lilly suggested.

Dallas
stepped between her legs, his jaw flexing as he scrutinized her face.
“Thaegan advised against it.” With great care he laid his
shirt over her torso, tucking it under her chin and behind her
shoulders. It was warm and soft and smelled like the man bent at the
waist, his breath feathering hot across her lips. “And until
you tell me exactly what you did to my partner, and why you targeted
the Znedu, you’re not moving from this chair.”

His
eyes sparked with the jagged edge of danger. She swallowed hard
against the panic percolating just below her calm exterior. “What
makes you think I did anything?”

“
Because
Thaegan told me you did.” Cradling her face in his palms,
Dallas swept his thumbs over her cheeks, removing the last remnants
of the tears. “Now start talking.”

“
I’d
rather talk about us.” If she could just touch him, freedom
would be hers. “Really, it will be so much more satisfying for
both of us if you release me.”

Ignoring
her plea once again, Dallas straightened abruptly and strode the two
paces to the table. “Your story first.”

“
Why
don’t you tell me what you know already so I don’t bore
you with details—”

“
I
don’t play that way, Lilly.” Dallas grabbed another of
the battered wooden chairs and flipped it around. “This is
about
you
.” Straddling it backward, he rested his arms
casually over the chair back. “From what I know about my
partner it will take the better part of the night to satisfy his
needs. Which means I’m in no rush.” He lifted his hands
and shrugged. “And from the look on Thaegan’s face, I’m
thinking you’re going to want to answer
my
questions
before he returns. I’m not sure I have any control over him
when he’s around you. And I’ve definitely played the only
trump card in my hand.”

Not
knowing what Dallas would do once he knew the truth, Lilly continued
to stall. “I’m not sure where to start.”

“
The
beginning’s always nice.”

She
snorted in disgust. “The beginning’s a nebulous place.
Beginning of my life? Beginning of the night? Beginning of this
farce? Which beginning, Dallas?”

“
How
about the place where you found yourself alone in deep
space—running?”

His
question slammed into her with all the power of a slap to the face
and she reeled from the impact. “I’m not running.”

“
No?”
He absently picked at his fingernails. “A beautiful human
female alone in the middle of this godforsaken frozen abyss known as
deep space, making a living as a high-end prostitute because it was
her life’s ambition? I’m not buying it.” He looked
up at her, his expression thoughtful. “Which means,” he
held up a finger, “you’re undercover working for some
agency or,” he lifted a second finger, “something
happened on Earth that sent you fleeing.”

“
There’s
the third possibility. I was born out here.”

“
Yeah,
I would’ve gone there except you know Dallas, Texas. Nope. Not
born out here.” He shook his head. “And since I’m
intimately familiar with the government agencies, I’m thinking
you’re not working for them either. Which leaves you
hightailing it through space.”

Lilly
kept the surprise from registering on her face. She had suspected
Dallas and his partner were into something illegal, but mentioning
the government meant he probably worked for them. What the hell had
she stumbled into? “Yeah, I left Earth. But lots of people are
doing it these days, looking for something more exciting.”

Dallas
stood abruptly and swung the chair out of his path. “Cut the
shit, Lilly. You sought me out tonight at the tavern.” His
boots thudded across the floor until he was face-to-face with her,
his voice a low growl in his throat. “Let’s not pretend
our fucking in the alley was anything more than a fact-finding
strategy. And when that failed, you came back to the tavern to save
the Znedu. And when that failed, you tried to kill me. How am I
doing?”

“
I
haven’t any idea—”

“
Bullshit!”
Dallas roared in frustration. Stomping back to the table, he cleared
the decorative centerpiece with one swipe of his arm. The cutesy
knickknacks shattered on the floor. Dallas leaned heavily on the
table, his head hanging to his chest, his voice painfully steady.
“I’m actually trying to help you here, Lilly. I work for
a very nasty branch of the government. When Thaegan returns, he
intends to take you in for questioning. And trust me when I say you
just don’t want to have to face that squad of aliens.” He
looked at her over his shoulder.

Lilly
burst out laughing. No doubt from Dallas’ expression she looked
like an escapee from the Pteran Omega asylum. In her opinion, when it
came to interrogations, they rated about a minus three on her fear
scale. Exile on the other hand, couldn’t be measured. Relief
bubbled out of her.

“
I’m
glad I can amuse you.”

“
I’m
sorry, but in my line of work interrogations are part of the job.”

Dallas
stared at her, one eyebrow cocked. “And which line is that?”

Staring
at the man, his naked chest heaving with frustration, something
inside Lilly broke. She had no idea why it felt right to trust
Dallas. He’d done nothing but screw up her plans. But she was
tired of being alone. Six months drifting in space without another
human to call friend was no longer an option. Dallas might not be
interested in continuing what they’d begun tonight, but Lilly
wouldn’t know if she didn’t try. And she’d start by
offering him the truth. “I’m a detective. Actually, I
was
a detective. Chicago PD. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”

“
And
the Znedu?” he asked.

“
Has
a rather large price on his head. But thanks to you and that
oversized caveman of a partner it looks like I won’t be
collecting
that
reward.”

“
Tough
life here in deep space. Why’d you leave the cushy detective’s
job on Earth?”

“
Same
thing that made your partner run from the cabin.”

“
The
cerebellum thing?”

“
Seraphelium
.
And yes.”