Page 65 of Star Bringer
He smirks. “Like you want to get into my pants, Princess.”
I sniff. “You’re delirious.”
“Maybe. But I’ll warn you now—I don’t do relationships. So, if you’re looking for more than a quick fuck, you’re out of luck.”
Fuck! Trust Ian to ruin everything.“Totally delirious. Did you bang your head back there while you were gleefully committing murders?”
He ignores me and continues. “I’ve been looking out for one person for as long as I can remember, and one person only.”
I frown because that doesn’t sound right. “What about Max and Milla?”
Something flashes across his face before he shrugs. “Yeah, well, they don’t count.” And suddenly he’s all business again as he gathers up the bags and makes his way to the edge. “All looks quiet. Let’s get back to the ship. Hopefully Gage will have taken care of the rest of the supplies and we can get the fuck out of here.”
He jumps lightly onto the refuse bin, making it look easy. I stare, trying to work out how to get down with minimal pain. I sit on the edge, then turn around and start lowering myself as gently as I can.
My already aching back screams at the movement, but I ignore it—and my shaking biceps. But then Ian’s big, calloused hands circle my waist, and I let out a squeak.
They glide up and over me as he lowers me to the metal surface, and I’m sure I’m about to go up in flames. But then he turns me around and lets me go.
“Do you have anything on under that thing?” he asks, looking me up and down. And though I know the robe doesn’t show anything, I suddenly feel very, very exposed—in the best possible way.
I think about prevaricating, but I figure he already knows the answer. His hands were just all over me. “No.” My voice catches in my throat at the sudden gleam in his eyes. “Remember the very, very tight dress? There wasn’t room for anything but me under there.”
At first, he doesn’t say anything, but eventually he blows out a long breath as he runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck. You really are messing with my head, Princess. Not to mention other parts of me.” He takes a reluctant step back. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 23
Rain
After we heard the shot, Beckett and I raced back to the ship—not easy in a water-logged floor-length robe. No one else was in sight, but we heard more gunshots coming from the main port area. Beckett dove right into the pilot’s seat and had the engines running before I even sat down along the left wall of the triangle-shaped bridge, where I’m now trying to calm my racing heart.
“Buckle up,” she tosses over her shoulder. “This might get rough.” There’s a grin on her face, like she likes it rough, and that sends a frisson ofsomethingshivering through me.
Or maybe it’s just the wet robe.
My hands are trembling, and I’m fumbling with the harness as Merrick runs through the door, closely followed by Gage. Merrick stops dead at the sight of me, relief flashing across his features. He looks so different without his robe, sort of tough and dangerous and…admittedly very handsome. I’ve never thought of him like that before—I’ve never thought ofanyonelike that before.
It’s as if this whole trip, from the moment I first saw Kali and especially now, thanks to my time with Beckett, has awakened something new inside me—something that makes me think about a lot of things I never did before.
“You’re wet,” Merrick says, giving me a funny look.
“I went for a swim.”
“You don’t swim,” he deadpans.
“I was born on Askkandia, remember?” I tease. “It must be in my blood.”
Merrick just huffs, then glances at Beckett and frowns, probably because of her wet hair.
There’s nothing in the Book of the Dying Sun against priests and priestesses having relationships, even with those outside the faith. Though, from what I’ve gathered, it is unusual for a high priestess to have a relationship with an outsider—unusual for her to have any relationships, actually—because usually we don’t leave the monastery and it’s hard to meet interesting people stuck in there. Not that I’m saying those of us in the Sisterhood are boring, but Merrick’s pretty much the most interesting person in there, and he’s a verified stick in the mud.
I glance at Beckett. “Boring” is definitely not the first adjective that comes to mind when I think of her.
Sexy. Smart. Fascinating. Definitely not boring.
I clear my throat. “Where are the others? Are they okay?”
At that moment, Kali races in, still dressed in Merrick’s robe and clutching a bunch of bags to her chest. She drops them on the floor and runs to where Beckett is prepping the ship for takeoff.
