Rayven's Keep (27 page)

What had seemed like a simple security detail had gone wrong somehow, which left Nick with more questions than answers. He knew the ambassador was outspoken about her desire to stop the devastation on her world, Paladin Minor, caused by insurgents trying to gain control of the profitable business of ice crystal mining. Obviously, she’d made some powerful enemies if they were trying to stop her before she took her seat with the Unified Alliance of Planets and the cachet belonging would give her. The assassination attempt was undeniable proof.

The only thing any of the events seemed to have in common he could see at this point was Paladin Minor, where the ambassador was from and Aislinn Thorpe seemed to be heading.

Nick put the tablet on its docking station and transmitted the data to home base. He knew Seth and Callen would fill in missing details and between all of them, he was sure a more solid picture would form.

Hunger and thirst finally drove him out of his chair and to the crew quarters. He paused to check on Tru, but didn’t disturb her. She was curled on her side, facing the wall. He knew she wasn’t asleep. Her posture was too stiff and her breathing too irregular, but it was clear she wanted to be left alone.

Unwilling to disturb her, he turned away to see what supplies had been restocked while they were on Killjoy. He noticed, with some gratification, Siren had tracked items they favored and had made sure there was plenty for the trip home. She was learning more rapidly than he’d anticipated.

A meal and a mug of tayberry in hand, Nick returned to the bridge. The solitude was a balm to his weary soul and he allowed some of the adrenaline to seep away. He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. Ignoring his aches and pains, he dug into his food.

When Nick finally crawled into his bunk it was late. He lay on his back, one arm across his chest, the other behind his head, and wished his mind would quiet down enough he could give in to his exhaustion and find some peace. He stared at the ceiling, listening to the noises of the ship and trying to keep his focus off the woman in the bunk across from him. He finally admitted to himself, it was fruitless. Every time she so much as shifted, he was aware of her. He wanted her in his bunk, wanted them skin-to-skin and damn the consequence. He ached with it, his skin hot, stretched over muscles taut with a need held in check.

He kept circling back to their time in Killjoy and he was unsure what to do next. Had he imagined her whispered words? Conjured them in his drug-induced state? He almost convinced himself he had, but he still couldn’t quite let it go. Guilt riding him hard, he faced the fact he’d nearly lost her. Accepted he’d failed to protect her.

It appalled him that in one moment of inattention, she’d been jerked from his side and held at knifepoint by a mad man. He should have known better. Did know better. He’d failed one of the basic tenants of his military career, one he relentlessly drilled into his men. Never let your guard down. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

He wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to see him again once he got her home. Maybe it was a good thing she didn’t know how important she’d become to him, how much he needed and wanted her. She should to be safe with her family and not with a man who still struggled with his past and all it meant. She deserved better. Determined to do the right thing, he closed his eyes and turned his head to face the wall, refusing to acknowledge the empty, aching place inside.

It was hell.

Chapter 22

Tru bit her bottom lip and considered her options. Time was running out and it wouldn’t be long before she was back with her family and Nick returned to his life on Alludra. She’d spent most of the day lying on her bunk, thinking about her choices and the consequences of her actions. Whenever her thoughts drifted to Anto Geir, she shuddered, understanding with frightening certainty she was lucky to be alive. She’d given herself no quarter, gone over everything starting with her misguided trip to Lodestone. How innocent and unaware of life outside the confines of her protected home life she’d been. She cringed remembering how certain she was of herself and her place in the world. The outcome could have been very different and she was thankful to have survived. Through the adversity, the fear and her own self-condemnation, she was finally growing up. Understood herself better, felt stronger and knew her heart and mind. Nick Rayven was what she wanted. She’d known it from the beginning.

“Nick? Are you asleep?” Tru whispered.

“No.” His eyes popped open and he removed his arm from behind his head. Shifting to his side, he propped himself up on his elbow and waited.

“I can’t sleep, can you?”

“Why can’t you sleep?” he asked quietly.

“Every time I doze off I have a nightmare. I’m almost afraid to close my eyes,” she confessed in a small voice. It was a good thing he couldn’t see her face or he would know she wasn’t telling the truth. She shifted uncomfortably.

“I’m right here, Tru. There is nothing to be afraid of,” he assured her. “You aren’t alone.”

“I know that, but it isn’t helping. Can I sleep with you? Please, Nick, I don’t want to be by myself.” Her words tumbled out in a rush. Heat climbed in her cheeks. She didn’t know what she would do if he said no. It had taken her a long time to get up the courage to put her plan in play.

“I’m not sure that is a good idea.”

“Because of your injuries? I promise to be careful.”

“Not because of my injuries. They aren’t a problem.”

“Then why?”

He blew out a breath and flopped onto his back. “Don’t be naive, Tru. I want you. Have wanted you for quite some time now and if you get into my bunk, I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off you.”

She winced at his bluntness, but was relieved he told her what he was feeling. Time hung suspended while she waited to see if he would say more. When he remained silent, she threw her covering off, crossed the small space between them and slid into bed beside him.

His breath caught and she smiled.

“I’d almost given up hope, you know. I was beginning to think I was the only one to feel this way.”

“What?” he replied. He looked stunned to find her in his arms.

She moved closer and threw his words back at him. “Don’t be naive, Nick. I have wanted you for a long time. I was beginning to think you would never notice.”

“Whoa...what? You do understand what I said, right?” He reared back enough to see the outline of her face in the dark. He grabbed one of her hands, which had been wandering across his rib cage, and flattened it gently under his palm to stop further movement.

“Of course I do.”

“Siren, low light in crew quarters.” Nick ordered. Scooting into a sitting position, he hauled her up with him and held her a small distance away searching her face. “This isn’t a game. Before this goes any further, you need to understand there is no going back if we do this.”

“Good.” Leaning forward, she brushed her mouth across his in a feather-light kiss.

“You aren’t doing this out a misplaced sense of obligation or guilt, are you?” he murmured against her mouth. “Because if you are, you can haul your sweet ass back to your own bunk.”

In a smooth motion, she straddled his hips and pushed his shoulders, urging him to lie down. Trailing her fingers down his chest, she reached the edge of his t-shirt and pushed it up, revealing the ridged muscles under his taut skin.

“Shut up, Nick. I know what I’m doing and what I want. Guilt has nothing to do with it.” She ran her tongue over the delicious muscles she’d revealed and he sucked in a breath.

* * * *

He trembled under her touch, reveling in the warm slide of her tongue against his skin, wanting more. His hands clasped her hips, his hold gentle.

“You weren’t actually having nightmares, were you?” He took one last shot, trying not to groan when she nibbled on his earlobe then ran her tongue over its outer rim.

“Nope.”

A slow grin spread across his face and he saw her answering smile, devastating in its sweetness. Between one breath and the next, he flipped her onto her back, ignoring the ache of his healing ribs. Cupping her face, he brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones. His gaze wandered over her face committing it to memory. He got lost in the blue of her eyes.

“Is something wrong?” she whispered.

He looked his fill, amazed she was in his arms. He suspected more was being revealed than he wanted, but he didn’t care. When she pressed her palm against his chest his heart skipped a beat.

“No. Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfect, you are perfect.”

There would be time enough later to work through all that needed to be said, but right now, he just wanted to think about making love to the woman in his arms. Slowly he lowered his head, never taking his eyes off her and watched her lashes close as his mouth claimed hers in a kiss that left him breathless with need.

She arched, pressing her breasts against the hard wall of his chest and he heard her sigh. Chills raced across his skin. Desire pooled in his lower body, making him ache. A small satisfied smile curved her mouth before he captured her mouth again and wiped all coherent thought from his mind.

He broke their kiss and put a little space between them to remove their clothing, tossing it aside with careless disregard. He wasn’t satisfied until they were facing each other with nothing between them but skin. His control holding on by a thread, he explored every inch of her, urging her to open for him, discovering what gave her pleasure and finding his own doubled by her responses. Anticipation fed the hunger, and hunger turned to flames licking along his nerve endings until he was consumed.

Like a starved man, he reached for her several more times during the night and each time was more satisfying than the last. Exhaustion finally claimed him and he fell asleep in a tangle of limbs and blankets with Tru nestled close to his side.

He woke hours later, realizing his sleep had been undisturbed by nightmares for the first time in longer than he could remember. He turned over and reached for Tru, only to find her gone. Heartbeat racing, he jackknifed into a sitting position, fear bringing him fully awake. He was reaching for his pants when he heard her muted giggle coming from the bridge, and he paused to listen.

“Try again, Tru. You almost have it,” Siren encouraged and repeated the words for her to hear.

“I love you. I adore you. I want you,” Tru mimicked in Tonlithian. He could hear the effort she put into saying the words properly.

He flopped onto the bed, overwhelmed and touched by the effort she made to speak his native tongue. The words flowed over him, slightly mangled but more precious than she could ever guess. He grinned at the ceiling while he continued to listen to Siren teach Tonlithian.

His native tongue was a challenging language, with many words sounding similar but having entirely different meanings. Even the way words were emphasized changed their meaning in some cases. The rules were fluid, but he thought she was beginning to grasp it. She’d told him once she was good with languages and whenever he spoke to Siren in Tonlithian, he’d noticed Tru would listen. He never suspected she was trying to learn his language.

Tonlithian was a musical language, pleasing to the ear. Listening to her speak his native tongue in her soft voice was a sensual feast for his ears. One he would never tire of hearing. Now their relationship had changed, she seemed determined to master more with the help of Siren. His grin widened, he would bet she wanted to understand the words he’d whispered while he’d held her in his arms.

“Much better,” Siren said. “Now translate, where is the nearest space port?”

Nick stifled a laugh. Siren may have the voice of a goddess, but she was nothing if not pragmatic in her programming. Dutifully, Tru did as asked and giggled when Siren only had minor corrections. They worked far longer than Nick would have liked. He wanted her back in his bed, hoped it was where she wanted to be. He debated getting up to fetch her, but discarded the notion almost immediately.

He lay still in his bunk, feigning sleep when he heard her approach. He waited to see which bed she would go to and fought the temptation to reach out and pull her into his, but refrained. The choice had to be hers.

Relief flowed through him as she snuggled under the covers, her back to his chest. Reaching behind her, she clasped his hand, pulled his arm around her and sighed. He drew her closer and breathed in the scent of her curls as they tickled his chin. He dropped a chaste kiss on her head and listened to her sleepy murmur as she drifted to sleep.

More content than he could ever remember, he enjoyed the warmth of her small body pressed to his, relished the way she relaxed completely in sleep, trusting him to protect her. Amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth when she began to softly snore. He lost himself in contemplating taking the longer route home to give them more time together. He fell asleep while he considered the possibilities.