Stealing Coal (18 page)

She couldn’t deny that. Technically she would be considered one for knowingly

buying illegal goods and it could be debatable if she fit the thief category after she’d

stolen Coal. “Apology accepted.”

“Fine.” Flint took a deep breath. “Your shuttle is too slow but we don’t want to

alarm them with you meeting them in an unfamiliar one. We’ll dock your shuttle inside

one of the cargo bays aboard the
Star
and transport it closer to Earth. At that point we’ll

fly it to meet up with your contacts.”

She nodded. “Sounds good.”

“You’ll remain on your shuttle and Onyx will remain with you to make certain you

don’t change your mind about helping us.”

Damn
! She tried to hide her disappointment. An idea struck though. “Coal

promised to help me do some repairs that need to be done. I’d feel better if he’s here

since I don’t know your guy.” She shot Onyx a glower and then looked back at Flint.

“I’m fine with Onyx staying but I’d rather not be alone with him. I don’t think it’s too

much to ask to allow Coal to stay with me, considering I’m risking my ass to help you. I

don’t even want to be paid for my time.”

Flint studied her for long seconds. “Fine. Coal may stay aboard. Onyx,” he looked

away from her, “park this in cargo bay two. You have control of her shuttle while Coal

helps her with whatever repairs are needed.” He met Coal’s gaze. “Is that agreeable to

you?”

Coal didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Fine. We’ll meet again to discuss the exact plan before we reach the edge of the

solar system containing Earth.” He strode to the docking sleeve. “Let’s go,” he ordered.

Onyx frowned when the cyborgs exited her shuttle. He sealed the cargo door

closed, his attention shifting from Jill to Coal. “What kind of outdated system am I

dealing with? It’s fine with me if you want to pilot the shuttle while I remain with her.”

Coal glared at the other man. “You heard Flint. Do your job and I’ll do mine.”

“You’ve already piloted this piece of junk. You’re familiar with it and I’m sure you

wish to be helpful. Go dock us inside the cargo bay.”

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Stealing Coal

Coal didn’t say a word but shook his head, not moving an inch toward the door.

They watched each other. Jill had no idea what the problem between the two men

happened to be, not knowing their history, but the tension became obvious. She cleared

her throat.

“Coal?”

He tore his glare away from the other man. His features softened when he looked

down at her. “Yes, Jill?”

“Why don’t you help me? I’m sure your friend can find his way to the pilot seat.”

“I’ve already linked to your computer.” Onyx grimaced. “It’s barbaric.”

The engines roared to life, startling Jill enough that she nearly tripped when she

jumped. Coal’s steadied her with his lightning-quick reflexes.

“Don’t be alarmed. He doesn’t actually have to walk there to steer the shuttle.” He

kept his tone low. “He has active, working implants and is able to do things I can’t.”

“Should we warn him about the stabilizers?” she whispered.

Coal grinned, shaking his head. “It will be a surprise for him,” he whispered back.

He moved her closer to a bulkhead, leaning against it but still holding her arms. “I’m

guessing they will make for a rough landing.”

Jill nodded. “Expect a hard drop. The sensors are about four feet over what they

read. He’ll be told by the computer it’s four inches.”

“What are you discussing?” Onyx irritated tone couldn’t be mistaken.

“We’re talking about things that don’t work right on the shuttle,” Jill answered

honestly, talking louder, and kept her back to him for fear of laughing. “There are a lot

of things that need to be repaired.”

“I’m sure of that fact.” Onyx sounded closer. “This shuttle should have been

decommissioned a good decade ago. It’s amazing it’s still functioning. We’d be kind if

we blew it up for you and left you on Earth. They have opened the cargo bay doors.”

He paused. “We’re setting down now.”

Coal suddenly wrapped his arms around her hips and jerked her off the floor. Her

chest smashed against his as the
Jenny
’s engines cut out. Coal’s body tensed, his knees

bending slightly to brace their combined weight, and then the sick sensation of falling

made Jill’s stomach feel like it rose into her throat. The belly of the shuttle slammed into

something solid. The entire ship groaned.

Coal straightened his legs to return to his full height, chuckled, and eased Jill down

the front of his body until her feet returned to the floor. She grinned back at him. He’d

been so sweet to use his own body to cushion hers from the impact. From behind her

she heard a string of curses and turned her head. Onyx lay sprawled on his side,

struggling to sit up in the middle of the cargo hold.

“I assume your piloting skills need finer tuning.” Coal laughed.

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Laurann Dohner

“The sensors are incorrect,” Onyx hissed, sitting on his ass on the deck. He glared at

both of them. “You knew and didn’t tell me. You had no right to do that. I’m ordering

you to return to the
Star
.”

Coal’s humor died. “You had no right to stare at Jill’s body the way I caught you

doing. If you believe you are going to get an opportunity to be alone with her, you are

wrong. You also have no authority to give me orders.”

Onyx stood. “I heard you were damaged but you’re insane as well.”

Coal took a step closer to the other cyborg. “I saw the way you stared at her breasts

and I didn’t misread your offer for me to pilot the shuttle as an excuse to give you the

ability to be alone with Jill.”

Shock had kept Jill frozen at Coal’s sudden outburst until he moved again, his

intent to attack clear. She lunged, grabbed hold of his waist to block him from going

after the other cyborg, and clung to him.

“Calm down,” she ordered him.

Coal continued to glare at the other cyborg but he didn’t attempt to remove her

from his path to the other cyborg. Jill turned her head, glaring at Onyx.

“You’ve got permission to stay on my shuttle but get out of my cargo hold now.

You can stay somewhere else.”

Onyx glared at Jill. “You don’t give me orders, female.”

She clenched her teeth and focused on Coal. “Hey.”

He looked down at her, still enraged, and said, “He wants to touch you. He’s

attracted to you.”

He’s jealous
, she realized. It stunned her but then warmth flooded her in all the good

ways. “You need to calm down. Let’s take a walk together since he won’t leave.”

Coal took a deep breath. “Fine.” His body relaxed but only slightly. He glared at

Onyx again. “You stay away from Jill. She isn’t interested in intercourse with you.”

“How would you know?” Onyx’s tone turned cold. “I’ve cataloged all entries

stored in the ship’s logs and she has few communications with males, none of them of a

personal nature, and logic states she has no male in her life to tend to her basic needs.”

“I’m the only male she’ll allow to touch her.”

Okay
, Jill thought, understanding that Coal obviously didn’t have a problem letting

the other guy know they were getting it on. She tugged at him. “Let’s go to my

quarters.”

Coal nodded and drew his heated gaze from the now-mute cyborg. Coal took her

hand and headed for the door of the cargo hold. Jill had to jog to keep up.

They didn’t talk until the doors to her room securely closed behind them. Coal

stopped by the bed, released her hand, and spun to face her. He still looked pretty

angry.

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Stealing Coal

“He wants to put his hands on you. Cyborgs have basic needs, there are no

unattached females traveling with them, and you are not to be alone with him, Jill. He

will attempt to seduce you into agreeing to allow him to take you to bed.”

“You’re jealous,” she informed him softly.

Some of his anger seeped out. “I believe I am. I feel rage over him wanting to touch

you and possessive of you at the same time.” He took a deep breath, his broad chest

expanding. “I have felt possessive of you before but this is stronger.”

Jill bit her lower lip and then stepped forward. “What else do you feel?”

“I didn’t wish to leave you. I’m…relieved we are together still. My chest began to

ache painfully when I believed I wouldn’t see you again.”

Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back but more surfaced.

“I don’t mean to upset you. Have I made you feel sadness? I know I’m damaged

and unable to control the ability to suppress emotions.”

“Not all tears are from negative emotions.”

“Which ones would cause tears that are positive?”

Jill hesitated. “Relief, happiness, just to name a few.”

“Why would you feel those things when I say I don’t want to leave you?”

“I don’t want to say goodbye to you either.” She reached out for him, cupping his

face, and drew it closer to hers. “I’m going to miss you desperately when you leave

me.”

Surprise flickered on his handsome face and then his lips were on hers. His tongue

delved inside, sweeping across hers. Two hands gripped her and her feet left the floor

slowly while Coal lifted her higher up his body to align their faces better, to deepen the

kiss.

Longing and passion swamped Jill. Her hands slid from his cheeks to his throat and

then her arms wrapped around him tightly, clinging. Coal turned them and then her

back gently bumped the wall. He adjusted his hold on her until he held her weight with

one arm around her waist. His free hand tore at the fastening of her pants, opened

them, and then shoved them down her dangling legs.

It wasn’t easy—she was concentrating on his kisses—but she wiggled her hips and

kicked enough to help him get them down her legs. Her boots slipped off her feet when

he stepped on the material and then jerked her higher to free her of everything. Jill

automatically locked her thighs around his hips. The arm around her back moved

under her ass, pushing her higher until she knew she dampened his belly from the

proof of how turned on he made her. A moan tore from her throat as she rubbed her

spread pussy against his skin, eager to feel him touching her there, not caring what part

of him did. The sound of material tearing barely registered.

The arm shelving her ass adjusted her lower body and then she moaned loudly

against his driving tongue when Coal’s thick, hard cock nudged the lips of her sex,

sliding a little on the soaked need there, before he drove home. The feel of him entering

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Laurann Dohner

her pussy, stretching her, and filling her had her crying out. Their lips parted, both of

them panting, and their gazes locked.

“I want you more than anything I’ve ever desired,” Coal growled. “You are what I

imagine pure joy is when I am with you.”

“I feel the same,” she admitted, not caring at that moment if he realized she loved

him.

She used her arms, braced on his shoulders, to lift a little and then drop, taking

more of his cock until she felt completely impaled by him. They both softly groaned at

the feeling of him that deep inside her, her vaginal muscles gripping him tightly. Coal

took over then, pinned her tighter to the wall, and started to drive up inside her. His

powerful body held her still while his hips thrust hard and deep, creating intense

ecstasy as they clung to each other, their gazes fused. It built into pure frenzy.

“Come for me,” Coal snarled. “I can’t hold off.”

He pounded harder, faster, wilder, and the rapture of the rapid friction their bodies

shared became too much. Jill’s eyes closed, unable to keep them open anymore, her

mouth parted, and she threw her face against the curve of his chest where it met his

shoulder. Her teeth sank into his skin. His entire body started to violently shake and

that did it for Jill. She screamed out when raw pleasure tore through her body, her mind

shutting down from overload. She heard Coal shout her name, his body nearly crushing

her against the wall, and they both trembled together until everything stilled but their

pounding hearts and heavy breathing.

He eased Jill away from the wall, still holding her tightly, their bodies still linked,

and backed up. He reached behind him where her legs wrapped around his hips and

lifted them a little higher then he slowly sat on the bed with her on his lap.

“Jill?”

She licked her lips, opened her eyes, and saw a red mark on his skin where she’d

left teeth impressions. “I’m so sorry.” She jerked back to stare at him in shock. “I didn’t

mean to bite you.”

A wide grin spread across his striking face. “I enjoyed it.”

Truth shone in his incredibly sexy gaze. She smiled. “That was amazing.”

“Jill?” He took a deep breath. “Come with me.”

“I just did.” She grinned.

Amusement sparked in his gaze and his arms tightened around her, hugging her. “I

mean when this is over I want you to remain with me. I enjoyed my time in space with

my fellow cyborgs but I miss being on a planet. I wish to return to the one where my

people have made a new home and I want you to go with me.”

Her breath caught as understanding hit. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

“Did you hear me? Will you at least consider it? There’s room on the
Star
to keep