Page 168 of Tempting Fate

Tears welled up in Airida’s eyes, and he blinked them away. “But I haven’t fought in a public display to prove myself.”

Kapiya smacked a hand to his forehead. “You jumped out of an exploding ship! What more do you want? Applause from Kri’s arse cheeks?”

Airida turned to me, fighting a laugh. “I don’t need anything more than I already have. A home. A mate. Good friends.” He pressed his lips to mine then stood, a wide smile splitting his face. “So I will accept those gems please, Kapiya.”

The corsair punched the air with one beefy fist. “Skik yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Come with me, I will do you the best gems in the sector. Can I interest you in a tattoo as well? I can do you the Tusk insignia on your cheek, honorary crew.” He slung an arm around Airida’s back and led him away.

I turned to Kira. “You got good people.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“I wish you didn’t have to leave. It’s been amazing having you here.”

She slapped me on the arm. “Don’t get lost or stolen again, and you won’t need me.”

“Dick.” I pulled her into a hug. “Just come back plenty, okay?”

“We haven’t gone yet. Anyway, that piece of shit in the brig is wanted by the authorities. We’ll drop him off at Draim Station, it’s a safe reason for us to go there and see Ellie.”

“Give her a hug from me?” The only way I’d see her again was if she came to Vadias; once we got back on solid ground, I wasn’t getting back into space—and I meant it this time.

“Of course. Do you want a shower and stuff before we land?”

Did I ever. “How long will the gems take?”

“About the same as a nice, long shower.”

“Deal.”

Kira showed me to the bathroom. As I got undressed, the gem Airida had given me in in the caves fell from my pocket, and I smiled. My new knowledge of the caves had to get me in with the guild now. They’d want to study them, we had the maps, and with all the notes I’d made while Airida had been working on his problem, they’d get their damn report and then some.

After an indulgent soak under the hot water, I headed to the bridge. Airida stood with Reskavi, his back to me, deep in conversation.

My heart warmed, so damn full. “Can I see?”

He spun round. Sparkling purple gems adorned his tusks, tiny spots of amethyst that complemented his skin and accentuated his eyes. More than that, he stood a little straighter, as if two tiny crystals embedded in his tusks had completed something that had been left wanting for so long. He broke into a smile, catching me as I flung myself into his arms.

I wrapped my legs around him and tucked my face into his neck. “You are so damn pretty,” I murmured.

“You like them?”

“Love them. Can I kiss you? Or do we have to wait?”

Lithe fingers cupped the back of my neck, tugging me to face him, and he pressed his lips to mine. “You can kiss me as much as you like. But maybe you want to wait. Watch us land on our home planet.” He lowered his voice to a purr. “When we get home, you can kiss whatever you like.”

Reskavi cleared his throat. “We weren’t this bad, were we, kamevi?”

“Worse,” Urula and Kapiya said in unison.

Kira and I shared a grin. We were happy—and we fucking deserved it.

I slid down Airida’s body, settling for standing at the window with him, our arms around each other, watching Vadias get closer.

The mountain range spanned much further than I’d thought, and likewise the lake system stretched across the land. And beyond… Was that an ocean?

My local geography must have been worse than I thought, though. I could have sworn the spaceport was the other side of Vadias Town to Zyamzh, but we were heading the wrong way. Unless… “Aren’t you supposed to land at the spaceport?”

Reskavi turned from his console to give me a wicked grin. “Yes.” Then he set the Tusk in a descent to the clearing outside the village. “Corsair. Never was much good at following the rules.”