Page 1

Chapter 1

“I have sand in my buttcrack.” Eden Franco swiped a hand across the back of her sweaty neck.

She glanced at her partner, Blaze Floridian, as he chuckled. “You think that’s funny?” As usual, he looked calm and composed. He wasn’t even sweating, and it felt like a hundred degrees in the shade.

“I’ll hose you down when we get back to the ship,” he said.

“That’s a promise a girl can’t turn down.”

He slid a glance her way, his purple eyes narrowing a fraction. “But you will.”

Eden returned her attention to the scanner she used to survey the blisteringly hot sand planet, Hellixion. She’d done this dance with Blaze so many times it was second nature to her. He’d show his interest, then she’d tease him but back off when he got that sultry look in his eyes that sent a shudder down her spine.

She wasn’t going there. Not with him. Not with anyone who made out he was such a decent guy. Well, a huge, muscled, gorgeous alien, but it was the same thing. Never trust the nice ones. They were the worst. And if he really was as charming as he made out, then there’d be no way she was good enough for him.

“Any sign of our two-headed target?” Blaze said.

“Not yet. But the bones we found of its kill suggests it can’t be far away.” A bubble of anticipation rose in Eden’s chest. This would be the success of the year if she could find a two-headed rainbow snake. There had only been six recorded sightings in the last decade, and most people thought the snake was extinct. But Eden knew this hard as nails, smart critter. Nothing would wipe it out.

“You couldn’t have picked a nicer creature to study?” Blaze said. “You know, some kind of cute bear or a friendly mammal that liked to snuggle? Not something that can squeeze the life out of you.”

“Where’s the fun in that? And you like scales as much as I do.” Eden had never been a naturally brilliant student. She’d worked hard, crammed for every exam, and was proud of every pass she’d achieved. And when the time came to choose a specialty, she picked creatures most shied away from. It amused her how people freaked out around snakes and reptiles. She’d always found them fascinating.

“It’ll be more fun for me when I don’t have sand where it’s not supposed to be,” Blaze said.

“You’ve got sand chafing your butt, too?”

He snorted a laugh. “Everywhere. I have sand everywhere. It’s not supposed to get under my uniform.” His attention shifted to the screen he held. He scowled and swiped his finger across it.

“What’s bothering you?” Eden said. “You’ve been getting messages every half an hour.”

He looked away, his shoulders hunching. “It’s nothing.”

“It is. That scowl has been getting deeper every time you get a message. Is it some girl chasing after you? She can’t take no for an answer? No, wait. You slept with her and ditched her?” She flashed him a grin.

They’d been working together for almost two years, and she’d barely seen Blaze date. He went out for a few drinks now and again but never got tight with anyone. Not that he was lacking for attention, with his rock hard physique, sharply sexy features, and manners that would charm the coldest heart. But when the female crew members of the Apocalypse flirted, he politely brushed it away. Blaze Floridian wasn’t in the market for a relationship.

“It’s family stuff,” he finally said.

Eden pressed her lips together. Blaze rarely spoke about his family members. She’d asked him about them a few times, but he either changed the subject or wouldn’t comment.

But they had time to kill now, and it was fun to ruffle Blaze’s composed exterior. He always held himself like some superstar king, parading around for his subjects. “Is everything good with your parents?”

He huffed out a breath. “Probably not.”

“Are they hassling you?”

“They always do. What’s going on with the scanner?”

“The same as two minutes ago. This snake doesn’t get the reputation for being elusive for no reason.”

“It has a good reason to be elusive. It’ll be hunted to extinction within the next year if we don’t start the breeding program.”

“To get him to breed, first we have to catch him and then get him to the sanctuary. We can’t do that while he’s playing shy guy on us.”

Blaze’s screen bleeped again, signaling an incoming message.

“You can reply to that if you like,” Eden said. “There’s nothing going on here.”