Page 23 of On a Rogue Planet
Right. They should all be so lucky.
Suddenly, he was out of the bed and beside her, his big body close. He knelt beside her chair. “What’s wrong?”
She waved a hand at him. “I’m just…having a moment.”
Cool hands gripped her shoulders. She felt the slight bumps under his palms, the implants. Funny how his hands were classified as a deadly weapon, but she wasn’t afraid at all.
“You’re having a delayed reaction.”
His matter-of-fact explanation elicited a small laugh from her. “Right. Thanks.” She raised her arms and tugged him close.
He stiffened, but she didn’t care. She needed a hug, and CenSec or not, he was available. “You may not remember, but on theFirebird, when the enviro was failing, I promised to give you a hug.”
His arms came around her and slowly, his muscles relaxed one by one. “I remember.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest. Bare chest. Really nice-smelling male chest.
One of his hands trailed down her spine, hesitant at first, then more confident. “You’re safe now.” His hand traveled back up until he gripped the nape of her neck. “It was my fault you were endangered.”
She sighed and relaxed against Xander. “Not your fault. Who are these mercs who attacked Centax?”
“It’s a story I should tell the others as well.”
She rubbed her cheek against his warm skin. Under her face, she heard the thud of his heart. Strong and not as steady as she would have thought.
She pulled back. It was hard to tell with his dark skin, but she thought she noticed a tint of color in his cheeks. “Xander…you said you don’t feel emotion. But you are now, aren’t you?” Or was it just her wishful thinking?
“I’m not supposed to.” He cupped her face. “I’m much more enhanced than regular CenSecs.”
As if magnetically drawn, they leaned in closer to each other. Mal felt the blood hammering through her veins. This was crazy. Really, really crazy.
His thumb brushed her jaw.Oh, stars.She’d spent so long trying to find the perfect man, her perfect match. Tarr, the starship pilot; Ben, the starship mechanic from the Souk spaceport; Aston, the salvage dealer.
Xander Saros was about as wrong as she could get. A cyborg, for star’s sake.
“Malin.” A quiet murmur, his fingers brushing over her skin, like he was mesmerized by the way she felt. “I remember you also promised me a kiss.”
Her stomach knotted. “I did, didn’t I?”
His head lowered, and she arched up to meet him.
The medbay door slammed open.
Mal jerked her head up and saw Lala waltz in sporting purple jeans and an orange T-shirt that said “Burn, baby, burn” on the front of it.
“Yo, Mal—” When she spotted Xander, she skidded to a stop. “Holy shit, he looks mighty fine, but Dathan told me he is daaaangerous!”
“Take it easy, Lala. He’s not going to hurt anybody.” As Xander let Mal go and pulled away from her, she stifled a disappointed sigh.
“I looked CenSecs up on the computer. Saw them in action.” Lala pulled something from the pocket of her jeans. A small, blue ball. Her tone changed, turned much more grown-up. “I can be dangerous too. Dangerous is just the beginning.”
Xander tensed. “Explosive.”
Mal gripped his arm, feeling the smoothness of the artificial skin. “It’s okay. She won’t hurt anyone either. Lala, put it away. Now.”
Lala pouted. “But I haven’t blown anything up for ages.”
“You blew up the Bandoo freighter I had outside ready for salvage. The day before I left on my trip.”
