Clasping Brok’s forearm in their warrior’s grip, I smiled up at my brother-in-law. “It’s good to see you too. Have you been taking care of my sister?” It was a rhetorical question. Sage had called me almost every day while aboard the Rhonar ship to spill the details about her alien husband. I’d never heard someone more in love.
Brok’s face grew solemn. “I will always do so.” He clasped his fist to his sternum and bowed his head. “You have my word.”
I placed a gentle hand over his where it rested above his double hearts. “I know, Brok. Thank you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Rhonar commander stiffen. His gaze narrowed at my hand on Brok, as if he wanted to chop it off. I pulled away as he barked, “No more delays. We need to leave.”
“Already?” Sage turned her puppy dog eyes my way, and then to her mate.
“Commander,” Brok tucked her under his arm and pulled her to his side, “could we not stay a few spans? Sage has been away from the Terran’s moonbase for some time, and I’m sure she’d like to catch up with everyone.”
Commander Torian crossed his arms over his massive chest. His booted feet stood wide. “And that is why you’ve been granted time off.” A ghost of a smile appeared on his lush lips but disappeared so quickly, I thought I had to have imagined it. “We have not told the Terran government about your mating yet. And you must be careful not to reveal it while you’re here beyond this present company. But their government has granted you a special dispensation.” He handed Brok a com-storage that he pulled from his vest pocket. “Sage spent time with us, and now you will remain on the moonbase as part of our personnel exchange to better learn each other’s cultures.” The commander patted my brother-in-law’s shoulder. “That is until I’ve returned from my mission.”
“Our mission,” I corrected quickly.Give this alien an inch and forget a mile, he’ll take the whole damn universe.
Commander Torian dropped his grip on Brok and angled that steely gaze of his on me. “Yes, little captain,ourmission.”
I bristled. “It’s Captain, or Jane, if you can be civil enough to treat me with the respect due to me.”
A light emanated from his pupils turning the gray of his eyes to sparkling silver. That ghost of a smile slipped out too. “As you wish,Captain.” He emphasized my title in a manner that set my blood on fire—whether from anger or…something else, I didn’t yet know or want to think about at all. “As we’ll be partners in this mission, you may call me, Tor.”
“All right, then,Tor.” I accentuated his name as he had with my title. Choosing to be the bigger person, I stuck out my arm. Distantly, I noted that my crew and brother-in-law were watching our exchange. I had to keep pace with the cocky commander. “So be it.”
He stalked toward me, and I resisted squirming by a fraction. His gaze was intense—a predator staring down prey. But I was not so easily hunted. He’d learn not to underestimate me. I swore it. When my arm was within his reach, he grabbed my outstretched fingers instead of my forearm and brought my hand to his mouth. Slowly, he kissed each knuckle, my insides heating with the intimate touch.
I gasped and whispered, “What are you—”
Before I could get my bearings, he released me and stepped back. Spinning on his heel, he headed for the ship. “Hurry along then, little captain.”
Flames leapt from my ears. They must have as the fire roaring inside me needed to escape. My cheeks were hotter than the sun. “You arrogant son of a—”
Taylor sprang up in front of me, the bags she’d been carrying earlier back in her arms. “Here! Look! I packed all the necessities.” She transferred the bags to me, not giving me the time to properly unleash my fury. Sage came up on my right side and Mai on my left.
“I’m going to miss you so much.” Sage wrapped her arms around the bags and me.
Mai waved the holo-pad like a flag. “Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll take good care of the base.”
Releasing me, Sage sprang behind me with Taylor at her side. Each of them laid a hand on my back and pushed me forward. “Now, be careful, sis. And com when you can.”
“No stress, Cap. We’ve got things covered,” Taylor chimed in.
The infuriating alien stood at the top of the ship’s platform with a smug expression on his face. I couldn’t wait to wipe it off.
“Try not to kill him,” Sage whispered in my ear.
I dropped my bags and tugged them each to my side, a one-armed hug for Sage and her partner-in-crime. “I know what you two are doing.” I eyed my sister. “And I make no promises.”
Taylor ducked under my arm to talk across me to Sage. “You want the under or the over.”
“Oh, definitely the over.” Sage squinted over my shoulder at the commander. “I give it a week.”
The chuckles from them both had me shoving them away. I gave them each a pointed stare. “I don’t even want to know.”
Taylor smothered another laugh behind her hand. “I’ll say five days.”
“Bet,” Sage said, shooting a loving grin in the direction of her hubs. “Then again, it might be less.”
“No, no.” A wagging finger from Taylor shot in the air. “A bet is a bet.”
