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She looked out the cockpit window at the half dozen ships docked around her.
They branched out on spokes from the slowly spinning center that was the Task Force field office for this part of the universe. Derek’s ship was easy to spot. He drove a Starwing not much older than her own, but his ship was definitely more luxuriously 32
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outfitted.
Derek Atkinson had money—lots of it. Judicious investments made over several centuries would make anyone rich beyond measure. It was a testimony to Derek’s character that he chose to work for the STF rather than spend his days idly, surrounded by willing women. His imperviousness to bribery made him the least likely of her suspects. She was certain that no amount of money could entice Derek to whore himself to the Federation.
So who was the traitor?
She’d pondered that question a hundred times over. Starting the engines, she glanced down at the readout on the console. Jeffrey Leroy was next on her list of agents to investigate. He was in the Delta Sector tracking down a smuggler, so that was her next destination. Disengaging from the docking bay, Sable pulled the required distance away from the field office before programming the jump to lightspeed. Then she stood, stretching muscles made deliciously languid from two fabulous orgasms.
Taking a quick shower, she tried not to think about what had happened at headquarters and failed miserably. How could she not think about it? She’d ignored every protocol of her job by getting involved with an agent. And she was definitely involved, no doubt about that. It would be so much easier to blame it on loneliness eased by physical pleasure, but that wouldn’t be true and she had to be honest with herself. Otherwise, she’d do something stupid, like fuck him some more, which was exactly what had gotten her in this mess to begin with.
Sable shut off the spray and toweled her skin dry.
And what the hell had gotten into Derek? He’d almost made it sound like what they had was more than just sex for him too, but she knew better than that. His terrified expression when she’d said the word “love” had proven that point. Yeah, the sex was great, fabulous even, but it wasn’t a good thing when one partner was coming undone and the other one just wanted to come.
With a weary sigh, she threw herself on her bed and glared at the ceiling.
33
Sylvia Day
She’d been a fool to fall for Derek Atkinson—a full Master vampire with a sensual call that turned every woman into a mewling sex slave. She would bet a million credits he’d never been in love in his life. He’d lived centuries as a bachelor and seemed to enjoy it immensely, if rumors held true. He left broken hearts in his wake.
Just like hers.
She closed her eyes and without even trying, she could smell him, the scent of his skin infinitely alluring. Her breasts grew taut and heavy as she pictured his hot gaze and luscious mouth. Reaching up, she squeezed the swollen flesh to ease the ache and wished she weren’t alone.
“I miss you, Derek,” she whispered into the still air.
I know.
Sable’s fists clenched as Derek’s voice sifted like smoke through her mind. “Get out of my head!” she growled to the room at large. With deep concentration, she shoved him firmly from her thoughts.
“You know, baby,” he murmured. “We need to figure out how you throw off my call so easily.”
Her wide-eyed gaze shot to the doorway, shocked to find Derek lounging there with casual arrogance. Her traitorous heart leapt, happy to see him.
“Damn you, Derek.”
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Misled
Chapter Three
Derek watched with rapt attention as Sable rose naked from the small bed and moved to the wardrobe. With the long fall of her dark hair and gently swaying hips, she was temptation incarnate. It took everything he had to maintain his casual appearance when the animal inside him longed to leap the distance between them and fuck her senseless. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever get enough of her. He wanted her as badly as if he hadn’t just come his last drop a short while ago.
Tugging a short, sleeveless wrap off a hanger, she covered her lithe form and he bit back a groan of disappointment. When she turned to face him, her lovely face was studiously impassive, belying the rapid pounding of her pulse and the moisture he could smell pooling between her thighs. She was happy to see him, although she was trying hard to hide that fact. He hid a smile. She’d said she missed him.
“What are you doing stowing away on my ship?” she asked, walking past him.
“You can’t run from me, Sable.”
“I wasn’t running.” She growled in frustration as she realized they’d already made the jump to lightspeed. “Shit. What the hell am I going to do with you now?”
“I have a few suggestions,” he offered helpfully. “Clothing optional.”
She shot him an exasperated glance.
He strolled over to the captain’s chair and made himself at home. He’d checked out the rest of the Starwing while she’d been in the shower. The entire ship had been stripped of every comfort. Obviously luxury was something she could live without. Or was forced to live without.
“How much trouble are you in?” he asked quietly.
She shot him a startled glance. “What?”
35
Sylvia Day
Derek waved his hand around the sparse deck in an all-encompassing gesture.
“You’re obviously in financial trouble. How deep are you under?”
“Why do you care?” Sable ripped the towel off her head and headed back into the bedroom.
“Who said I cared? Maybe I’m just trying to lighten my bank account.”
He heard her snort derisively and he laughed.
“I don’t want your charity,” she grumbled.
“And I don’t want your bullshit. Sometimes we get what we don’t want.”
Sable came back to the doorway, a reluctant smile curving her lips. It was the first time Derek had seen anything close to a smile on her face and he was awed by how it transformed her features from beautiful to breathtaking.
“Really, Derek. I don’t need your money.”
He frowned. “You’d tell me if you did?”
She laughed then, an enchanting sound that made him swallow hard. “No. I wouldn’t tell you.”
Derek pushed out of the chair with a curse. “Why the hell not?”
“I didn’t fuck you for your money.”
His eyebrows rose at the blunt statement. “Glad to hear it.” Really glad, but then he’d never thought that anyway. Sable was too independent. He paused a moment and then asked the obvious question, damning himself for caring about the answer. “Why did you then?”
“For that massive cock of yours, of course.” Her sapphire eyes glittered with wicked amusement.
When he scowled, she threw her head back and laughed with delight. The laughter poured from her, light and musical and before he knew it he was chuckling too. He was about to reach for her and pull her into his arms, when the ship rocked hard to the side, throwing her into his embrace. Alarms sounded.
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Misled
“What the hell?” she gasped as she steadied herself against him. Her eyes went wide as she looked at him and he knew she was wondering how he’d saved them from a puddle of tangled limbs. She glanced down, noticing they hovered just above the floor. Her gaze was accusatory. “Is there anything you’re not prepared for?”
He gave her a swift, hard kiss before moving to the captain’s chair. They’d been so wrapped up in talking to each other, they hadn’t noticed when the ship had fallen out of lightspeed.
“Shit! Hang on.” He grabbed the controls, shut off the autopilot and activated the shields, before tilting them hard right. A phaser shot barely missed them.
Sable took the copilot’s chair. “It’s a Federation ship,” she said in surprise after a quick glance at the console. She’d barely secured her harness before he was forced to make another evasive
roll.
With grim resignation, Derek kept his eyes on the control panel in front of him and noted the second Federation ship approaching. “Now would be a good time to tell me what kind of trouble you’re in, Sable.”
“Me? Why does this have to be about me?”
He risked a side-glance at her. “Cut the shit. We’re on the far edges of the Delta Sector. Why did you decide to drop out of lightspeed here?”
Her eyes met his for an instant, then she flushed and looked away. “To avoid you. I figured you wouldn’t think to look for me here.”
She punched a few buttons on the armrest and a visor lowered from the ceiling.
Within seconds, the chair spun silently around as she watched their enemy through the visor and returned fire.
Derek shook his head. Damned impossible woman. “We’re going to discuss your relationship issues later. Right now I want to know how two Federation fighter ships ended up deep in Council space at the exact remote location you decided to use.”
“I have no fucking idea. I reported my intention to travel to Rashier 6, but not the 37
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flight plan. No one knew I was coming out here.”
Derek watched as the second Federation ship flew over them, followed by a rapid volley of phasers from Sable. She was good. The second ship was already badly damaged.
“Maybe we stumbled onto something by accident.” She spun her chair to the left and fired on the first ship.
The Starwing shook with teeth-chattering force. “Yeah, a big accident. Shields are down to seventy-five percent.”
