3013: STOWAWAY (3013: The Series) (4 page)

Well, that had to be the most laid back response she’d ever had.

“Yeah, I know. I think they were trying to discourage me. None of them thought it suitable for a woman of my stature to be working at all, but I was bored out of my mind and kept pushing until they gave in. Joke was on them, once I got over my initial issues, I really liked the work. I was good at it, too.” So good that in the end, they’d given her a lab of her own and tasked her with creating new models. There was a booming trade in the droids, and competition was fierce. The more realistic the droid was, the better it sold. Sonja had worked to make her creations not only physically appealing, but to program them to act as companions, able to converse and mimic human empathy through carefully created behavior algorithms and AI programming.

She waited for Deke to make one of the usual comments, but he surprised her when he said, “So you know how to work with AI’s?
If you have the inclination, I would be happy to learn anything you could teach me about working with the
Arca
’s resident AI program. She’s a bit…stubborn sometimes.”

“I’d love to,” she said, and she meant it. It wasn’t often she got an opportunity to talk about her life’s passion, at least not without the listener’s eyes glazing over within the first thirty seconds. She was about to ask for more information about the ship
’s system when she noticed Deke had stopped. She looked around and realized they were standing in the entranceway to the cockpit. Laid out in front of her was the most incredible view she’d ever seen.

The cockpit was set in what seemed to be a bubble of glass, giving the pilots a panoramic view of everything ahead and beside them.
There were two command chairs overlooking the view screens, each with its own curved control panel in front of it. Heads-up displays shimmered in the air, but beyond them was a scene that drew all of Sonja’s attention.

It was Earth, floating in the blackness like a polished gem on display. From their current vantage point, the planet was bathed in sunlight, making the oceans gleam an impossible blue. The green tracts of the forests and the softer greens of farmland and fields were bordered by empty spaces that took up far more of the globe than she had truly understood. From here, the scars of the war were still raw and terrible, dead zones where the land was scorched and very little survived. It was still beautiful, though. It was her home, and Sonja’s throat tightened at the thought that she might never see it again.

Trevar was sitting back in one of the chairs, the air around him thick with readouts and images. Without turning around, he said, “Did you get our kitten tucked in and ready for takeoff? I hope so, because I need you to sync with
Arca
’s fucking AI. She’s got her electronic panties in a bunch over our
unauthorized passenger
. If you don’t fix that thing, I swear one of these days I’m going to put a plasma bolt through her processors.”

Deke tensed, his arms tightening around her for a brief second. Then he relaxed again, though he was no longer holding her so close.

“I’ll get on that in a second, but Sonja will need a place to sit.”

Trevar spun around in his chair to look at them. “Shit! What’s she doing up here?”

“I brought her up to look at Earth before we left orbit.” Deke said, his words clipped and his tone devoid of all inflection.

“Fuck. Sorry. I didn’t know she was here.”

Sonja was getting tired of this. “What are you apologizing for, Trevar? I don’t understand.”

“Do you want me to take her back down to the med-bay while you do your thing?” Trevar asked, ignoring her question.

“No, it’s fine. She was going to find out anyway.”

“She’s right here, and
she
wants to know what the fuck both of you are talking about.”

Trevar’s expression softened to one of regret as he rose from the chair, moving back so there was room for them to step further into the cramped space. “Sorry, kitten. I didn’t mean to talk around you. Why don’t you take my seat and enjoy the view while Deke deals with the computer.”

She turned her head to glare at Trevar. “That wasn’t an answer. I’m not going anywhere until you answer my question.”

“Great. Now I have two women on board this ship who think they’re in charge. Let me make this clear, sweetheart. You are not the one in charge here. Now get your sweet little ass in my chair and then I’ll explain.” Trevar pointed to his newly
emptied seat, and before she could argue further Deke stepped up and lowered her into it, then spun the chair around so it faced front, away from the two men.

Oh, hell no.

As tempted as she was by the view, there was no way she was going to enjoy it until they explained what was going on. She spun the chair back around to face them again, wondering how many times she could do this before she got dizzy. “So, what’s the story? What did I miss?”

Trevar sighed and scrubbed a hand through his too-long hair. Deke was touchy about telling people about his implant. Not that anyone could blame him. The reactions to that bit of information were rarely positive ones. If he’d known Sonja was within earshot, he never would have said anyth
ing, but the ship was the one place in the galaxies where neither man worried about protocol…or pretenses. “You want to tell her?”

Deke nodded once and looked down at Sonja. Trevar couldn’t
get a read on Deke’s emotions. The other man had locked himself down tight. The only feelings he could pick up on came from Sonja. She was frustrated, which wasn’t a surprise. More than that though, she was concerned. Not for herself, but for Deke.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Deke raised a hand and tapped his forefinger to a point just behind his right ear. “I’ve got cybernetic implants. And before you ask, yes, they’re Alliance approved. Hell, they’re the ones who installed them. They allow me to mentally sync with computers. Any computer. I can get into their heads, or more accurately, their processors. The implants are designed to allow me to interface with them on a deeper level.”

He dropped his hand and went silent, waiting for Sonja to respond.

“Incredible,” she murmured, tipping her head to one side so that her hair spilled over her shoulder in a curtain of chocolate colored silk.

Trevar broke the unwritten rule of empaths and did as deep a sweep of her emotions as he could manage. No fear. Not even dismay. She wasn’t hiding anything. Every emotion she was feeling showed clearly on her face. Son of a bitch. When was the last time he’d met someone that honest?

Never.

“
That’s amazing! What’s it like?” her question snapped him out of his thoughts and he glanced up at Deke, who was looking like a pole axed steer. Yeah, Trevar could appreciate his confusion. The girl was surprising him, too.

“Huh?” Deke asked.

“Syncing with a computer, what’s it like? Can you show me the implant? When did you have this done? Who did it? It doesn’t hurt you, does it?” The questions flowed one into the other until Deke finally threw up a hand to halt her queries.

“I’ll tell you all about it soon, I promise. First off, I need to get the ship to understand that you’re supposed to be here, and for that I need a few minutes of quiet.” Deke was looking at her like she’d offered him the universe all tied up in a bow. And in a way, Trevar guessed she had. Acceptance wasn’t something Deke was used to. Whatever had happened to him back in his training days, it had left the younger man with an iron-clad control of his emotions and not much faith in his fellow man.

Maybe having Sonja on board for a while would be a bigger boon than merely padding their bank account. If she could break down a few of Deke’s walls and get him to smile more often, that would be a hell of a bonus.

***

CHAPTER FOUR

As Deke settled into his chair, preparing himself to
sync in with the system, Trevar knew it was time to distract their curious passenger. He pointed to the view screen and Sonja nodded silently, swinging her chair around to face forward. There wasn’t room for him to move beside her, so he leaned over the back of the seat, his head above hers. That close, he could smell her scent, a subtle hint of spice and sweetness that made his mouth water. Her hair tempted him to touch it, and he curled his hand into a fist to prevent himself from doing something stupid.

She was nothing like the women he marked time with on the stations. They were experienced professionals, jaded
, but well versed in what a man needed without complications or pretense. Sonja was a scroll, and a rich one at that. She was fresh, unspoiled, and likely too young to know the harsher side of life. He had to remind himself that in a matter of days she’d be off his ship and out of his life, with nothing but her credits to remember her by. As tempting as it was to consider passing the next week trying to get her out of her clothes and into his bunk, that wasn’t the smart plan. Better if he left her to spend some time with Deke, maybe she’d be able to pull him out of his shell a bit.

Trevar found himself leaning in as he pointed out what few landmarks she might be familiar with, while keeping his voice low enough they wouldn’t disturb Deke. “See that chunk of empty, red, land over there? That’s the sector you were in when you stowed away on our shuttle. Fort Saken is right on the edge, right where that smudge of green starts.”

“Where?” she asked, turning her head enough that her breath feathered over his cheek. All the blood in his body surged straight to his cock, and Trevar was grateful that there was a chair blocking anyone from seeing just how much she was affecting him right now. He reached past her, calling up a magnified view of the area he’d been pointing to and setting the new image so it overlapped the main view screen.

“There. See it now?”

“Oh, I do!” She exclaimed and then clapped a hand over her mouth when she remembered they were supposed to be staying quiet. Trevar glanced over at Deke, noting his relaxed posture and closed eyes.

“It’s okay, he’s already synced. We could set off a plasma charge in here now, and he wouldn’t notice.”

She turned at that moment, bringing their faces so close together it would take nothing more than a slight dip of his head to bring them together. He found himself staring into her eyes, his hand moving so that he could brush a strand of hair off her cheek and tuck it back behind her ear. Lust roared through him, echoing the desire he could sense flare deep in Sonja’s soul. At this rate, he’d be throwing the smart plan out the airlock before they even left the fucking dock.

Shit.

“So he’s…gone? Inside the system?” Sonja asked, and he knew she was trying to think of something else besides what her body wanted. He could feel her fighting for control. If he was a good guy, he’d back off right now.

That so was not going to happen. He deliberately leaned in a hair closer. “He’s gone. Which means it’s just you and me in here for a few minutes while he argues with the AI.”

Sonja was having a hard time resisting the urge to move. All it would take was a tiny tip of her chin…and if she did it, if she moved, Trevar would kiss her. Or she’d kiss him. There was probably a really good reason why that shouldn’t happen, but at the moment she had no idea what that would be.

She moved closer.

Trevar’s lips brushed hers, once, twice, and then his hands were in her hair and his mouth was slanting over hers. There was nothing tentative about his kiss, no hesitation or doubt. He simply took all she offered, his gaze never leaving hers. The gray depths of his eyes flared hot with need, searing her soul and making her entire body sing with lust. It didn’t matter that she barely knew him, or that she’d be leaving him behind in a matter of days. For the first time in her life, she was free to make her own choices, and at this moment, her choice was…him.

He pushed against the back of her chair, sending it swinging around so she faced him fully. The momentum was enough to make her feel off-balance and she caught hold of his uniform, tugging him closer as she tried to regain her equilibrium. His tongue swiped over her lower lip and she opened for him, uttering a low moan as he took their kiss deeper. He tugged her head back, his grip tightening just enough make her scalp tingle.

Daring to be bold, Sonja reached up to stroke his waves of dark hair, giving in to the urge to sweep it back, off of his face. Her touch made him groan into the depths of her mouth, and liquid heat flowed from her pussy at that primal sound. The shirt she wore suddenly felt constricting, and her fingers itched to yank open the fastenings of his tunic so she could connect with bare skin.

He skimmed hand up her leg, pushing the fabric aside as he reached her knee and then went higher, tracing erotic patterns across her flesh. She wanted to feel more of him, needed it more than she needed to breathe. Her thoughts had all derailed, and her body was running on pure instinct as she surrendered herself to the moment. This was why she had run, wasn’t it? So she could be free to take chances and dance in the flames if she wanted to.

When Trevar finally lifted his head, she let her fingers slip from his hair to his cheek, her fingertips brushing the edge of a scar that had been hidden beneath the fall of hair. He pulled back a half second later, leaving her empty handed and reeling from the impact of what had happened between them.

“I can’t fucking leave you unsupervised for five damned minutes, can I, old man?” Deke’s normally calm voice had a rough edge to it, and Sonja belated realized he’d finished returned from his sync with the
Arca
’s computer and had caught them kissing like a couple of teenagers.

Talk about awkward.

“The day it’s safe to leave me unsupervised around a beautiful woman will be the day after you put me in the ground, and even then it’s not going to be a safe bet. You’re cranky because I got to her first,” Trevar said and then gave her a wink and a sexy little half-smile that had her pulse skittering up a few notches.

“I was sitting two feet away, I figured she was sa
fe from your lechery for few minutes. I should have known better.” Deke dropped a hand onto her chair and swung it around so she was facing him. His expression was as unreadable as ever, but even still, she could tell he wasn’t happy.

“Deke, I’m sorry—” she started to apologize, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me. But just so we’re clear, I’m not going to back off and let him have you without a fight.”

Deke had come back to his senses only to discover he was the audience for one of the sexiest scenes he’d ever seen or imagined. Trevar and Sonja had chemistry so hot he’d been able to feel it from several feet away, and no matter how much he knew he shouldn’t be invading their
private moment, he couldn’t look away. What was hidden by the chair was revealed in the reflections on the glass. Her shirt was pushed up high enough he could see the soft flesh of her inner thighs, and there had been no mistaking the raw passion that was sizzling in the air between them. At this point, it would have been smarter to give up and move on, but he wasn’t going to. Sonja was something special, and if Trevar wanted her, he was going to have to work for it.

“Who says Trevar gets to have me?” Sonja snapped and then moved
to the edge of her chair as he watched in bemused silence. This wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting.

“I owe you an apology. You were working
, and what we did was rude. At least, I think it was rude, that’s why I’m apologizing. It’s not for any other reason. Got it?”

Trevar snickered from behind her. “You tell him, kitten.”

“And you, behave yourself.” She threw Trevar a look that would have made a Tarin think twice before interrupting again, and then turned her attentions back to Deke.

“I’m not sorry I kissed Trevar, and I’m not sorry for this, either,” she declared and reached out to snag her fingers in the collar of Deke’s uniform, tugging him closer.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m choosing not to choose between you. You think I only want Trevar, but you never asked me. We’re three grown adults, with no one to answer to but ourselves. So my choice is not to choose at all. What you two do with that information is up to you.” She leaned in and brushed a feather-soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Fire streaked through him, searing his veins and turning his control to ashes in nanoseconds.

“Come here,” he growled and hauled her into his lap, barely remembering to be careful not to let her injured feet touch the ground. Her laughter was the sexiest sound Deke had ever heard, and as she curled into his lap without hesitation, he knew that his decision was already made. He’d take everything she was offering, any way he could. If that meant sharing her with Trevar, so be it. Trios were the norm in Alliance relationships, so it’s not like this was unfamiliar territory…he and Trevar had just never considered partnering up.

Not until now.

“Consider this a declaration of intent.” He stroked a finger down the smooth line of her jaw until he reached the point of her chin, then tipped her head up. There was a hint of doubt in her beautiful eyes, and that was the final blow. This woman was so lovely she could have had any man she wanted, but she looked at him as if she was unsure that he wanted her. Him, with a head so full of tech he’d once had a woman question if he was even human anymore.

He had intended to be gentle, but that plan fell apart the moment his mouth took hers. Lips parted, breath mingling, he wrapped one hand around the back of her slender neck and drank her in.

Sonja felt as if she’d stepped into the heart of a star. Deke’s first kiss had molten pleasure coursing through her, and she felt as though she was on the verge of combusting. Her move had been a calculated risk. She hadn’t been certain he’d respond to her challenge, but now she was astounded by the passion she discovered lurking beneath his cool exterior.

He kissed her with a single minded purpose that was intoxicating. After a lifetime of living on the periphery of other people’s lives, to have all of one man’s attention was a heady sensation. He explored her mouth slowly, tasting and teasing until she was trembling in his arms. Strong fingers clasped the nape of her neck, his index finger stroking back and forth in tiny caresses that sent sparks of desire shimmering down her spine.

“Holy shit, the ice man has thawed,” Trevar muttered and Deke’s head snapped up, ending the kiss and leaving Sonja aching for more of his touch.

“Don’t fucking call me that,” Deke snarled, and she caught the pain in his eyes as he looked past her to glower at Trevar.

“Sorry. You know I didn’t mean it. I’m going to blame the lapse on the fact most of the blood in my body is not currently in my head.”

“Ass,” Deke muttered, but the tension was already leaving his body. It was odd, because most elites she’d known, including her fathers and brothers, were generally quick to anger and slow to calm down. It was a side effect of the genetic enhancements, which
tended to amplify all aspects of the recipient’s nature. The men grew bigger, stronger and more dominant. Her oldest brother, Nikolai, wasn’t nicknamed Griz for his teddy bear-like personality. When he was unhappy he was as growly and dangerous as a grizzly bear, and damned near as big.

Deke was different from any other elite she’d ever met. For that matter so was Trevar, with his shaggy locks and easy charm. They weren’t cut from the same cloth as the spit and polished officers she’d been introduced to at countless social functions. If any of those types had been the ones to find her passed out in their cargo bay, Sonja imagined that her grand escape would have ended far differently. Thank the stars above that wasn’t how it turned out.

Sonja glanced out the view screen and laughed inwardly. She was going to have to change her vocabulary. The stars weren’t above her any more. They were all around her.

Trevar didn’t know what was hitting him harder, the emotional impact of finally feeling Deke let go of his control, even for a minute, or the physical effects of watching Sonja enjoy herself in the other man’s arms. He hadn’t expected to feel anything really. Not envy, and certainly not a fresh wave of lust. He’d thought those days were behind him.

He and his former partner, Cory, had chased more than their share of tail around the galaxy in their time, laughingly calling it training against the day they claimed a scroll of their own.

Cory had been dead ten years though, and in all that time Trevar had never shared a woman with anyone else, or looked for a new claiming partner. Now here he was, his cock hard enough to hammer steel as he watched an unclaimed scroll nearly half his age offer herself to his best friend while he could still taste her on his lips.

The universe was a whimsical fucking mood tonight, that was for damned sure.

“You two might want to hang on to each other a little tighter. I’ve suddenly got a strong urge to get out of hailing distance before anyone dirt side puts two and two together and figures out we might know something about a runaway scroll.” Trevar touched a finger to his lips and waited for both of them to nod before activating communications, audio only. He received permission to launch less than ten seconds later, and he had the docking clamps retracted and the thrusters engaged before he even got around to wishing the controller a good night.