Page 50 of In a Dangerous Orbit
She started forward. He followed behind, their footsteps making a muted clang on the metal of the narrow tunnel.
They’d gone a few meters when the tunnel narrowed even further.
“We’ll have to crawl.” She crouched down.
Axton watched her firm, black-clad ass right in front of him. The Creator hated him. He was sure of it.
A loud thump echoed through the tunnel. They both paused.
He shone his ion light back behind them. A door had slid closed, blocking their way back.
Another thump ahead. They both turned. Farther down the passage, another metal door had blocked off the tunnel.
They were trapped again.
“This isn’t good,” he said.
Xenia’s eyes were narrowed. She was no doubt running scenarios.
Another clang and the sounds of gears grinding echoed around them. Along with a faint vibration beneath them.
Dammit. This was going from bad to colossally terrible.
The two doors blocking the tunnel at each end started moving.
Toward Axton and Xenia.
“Shit. Xenia, ideas?”
“Get out of here.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.” She tried kicking the side wall of the tunnel and he followed suit.
The metal didn’t budge.
The doors slid closer.
Her kicks became more frenzied. “Come on!”
They both kept at it, but nothing gave way. The moving doors were only meters away now.
“Xenia, swivel. Put your back against mine and your legs against the door. Use all your strength to hold them back.”
She moved, and soon they were pressed back to back. The door slid closer, and Axton braced his feet against it. He fired up his cyborg systems and put every single bit of his enhanced strength against the steel.
Metal groaned. Whatever powered the doors was fighting against them.
Xenia let out a small grunt. “We won’t be able to hold this forever.”
No, they wouldn’t. “Dammit!” His shout echoed in the tight space. “I amnotgoing to die here. There are things I haven’t done.”
“Me, too.”
He drew in a breath. His thigh muscles were starting to burn from the strain. “I want to see Centax restored. Centaxians happy, safe, and content again. And dammit, I want to get you naked. See you laid out in my bed and show you all the fun, dirty things sex can involve.”
Her breath hitched. “I…I think I would like that.”
