On a Rogue Planet (19 page)

She pulled back, lips tight around him, then slid back down, as far as she could. Back up, rolling her tongue around, teasing the places she was learning he liked best.

“Enough.” The word was a harsh growl. He grabbed her under the armpits and yanked her up. With a fast tug, he got rid of her trousers, lifted her up and set her on top of the workbench. Instantly, she spread her legs and he wedged his hips between them.

“Xander.”

“I’m coming inside you.” He wrenched her hips forward until her butt was balanced on the edge of the bench.

Without any preamble, he lined the head of his cock up with her and slammed inside.

Her head fell back, her lips parted. She was tender from their earlier lovemaking and her body had to work to take him.

Like he sensed it, his wild strokes slowed. His hands moved from the bench and slid either side of her face. He tilted her head until she looked at him.

And they stayed like that, locked together, as he moved inside her. The fire was there, but instead of a supernova, it was a hot simmer.

He looked down at where they were joined. She noticed he loved to do that, watch himself working in and out of her.

Then his gaze was back, so hot and intense that her chest constricted. She felt her release building, creeping up, coiling deep.

She murmured his name, then his mouth was on hers, tongues curling. He powered into her.

“Come, Malin.”

And she did, splintering apart in a wild burst. Two more hard thrusts and he followed her.

***

Xander had spent the last few days drowning in his bright, unfamiliar feelings for Malin. And learning all the great many pleasures of sex.

But as Technis appeared through the cockpit windows, he felt the cool and unwelcome brush of reality.

Technis was a cold, blue rock of a planet.

“It looks wild. And lonely,” Malin said from beside him.

She’d mussed up her hair while they were finishing with the last of the parts, and a smudge of grease marked one cheek. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.

“We’ve just passed Forge’s outer security beacon. He knows we’re here.” Zayn touched the controls. Dathan and Niklas stood nearby, eyeing the rogue planet.

“Transmit invitation codes or you’ll be fired upon.” The cold voice blasted through the cockpit.

“Friendly bunch.” Zayn transmitted the codes.

“Invitation confirmed. Proceed to planetary orbit. At eighteen hundred hours, Technis time, the two people allowed by the invite will be teletransported to the surface.”

Xander stiffened.

“Teletransported? What the fuck!” Dathan straightened so fast he nearly stumbled. “Teletransportation is barely out of testing phase. It isn’t safe.”

“Technis Control, we’d prefer to send a shuttle to the surface,” Zayn said.

“Negative. Invitees will all be teletransported or not attend.” The comm transmission cut off.

Zayn slammed a fist against the console, then smoothed a hand over it in apology. “Paranoid bastard.”

Dathan gestured at his brothers. “Means we can’t get to the surface undetected, so you guys will be solo.” His jaw hardened. “Teletransing is not proven. I’ve heard the stories.”

Xander had heard the stories as well. And seen the results of the early teletransportation tech. One of the academies had experimented with it. They believed it was now mostly stable, but he doubted Forge was using the Centaxian version.

“I’ll go alone,” he said.

“No way.” Malin turned on him. “You need me there. Without a partner, you’ll stand out like an Infiltrator at the freighter docks.”

“I won’t risk you.” He used his best CenSec voice. The one that made his CenSec teams tremble.

Her face softened for an instant before she screwed up her nose. “I’m coming. End of argument.” She stomped off. “I’m going to get ready.”

Xander wanted to kick something.

“Don’t hit anything in my cockpit, CenSec,” Zayn said.

“Welcome to the wonderful world of women.” Dathan dropped into a chair.

“You have to stop her.”

Dathan lifted a shoulder. “Short of tying her up, not much we can do. She’s a big girl.” His dark look said he wished she wasn’t. “Besides, I thought you were willing to do
anything
to achieve your mission?”

He was. Wasn’t he? But no matter how much he knew Centax needed the Antikythera, he couldn’t risk Malin.

He’d touched her, tasted her. She was his as much as Centax.

Dathan pulled a holo-pen from his pocket and chewed the end thoughtfully. “A cyborg willing to jeopardize his mission for a woman. Never thought I’d see that.”

“I…care for her.”

“You aren’t who I’d pick for her. But I don’t doubt you feel something for her.” Dathan’s blue eyes darkened. “I’m just not sure if it’ll be enough.”

Niklas crossed his arms over his chest and broke the tension. “The Galactic Security Services have been trialing teletransportation tech on their Patrol ships out on the edge.”

Dathan snorted. “Of course they’d test out on the galaxy’s edge. Wouldn’t want to have to explain any nasty messes in the central systems, would we?”

“Apparently they haven’t had any incidences,” Nik added.

“I’ll tie her up.” Xander scowled. He couldn’t put her safety at such risk.

Dathan winced. “CenSec, please, I do not need any images of you tying up my cousin in my head. I’m not dumb, I know what you two have been up to in that cabin.”

Shockingly, Xander wanted to smile, but thinking of Malin’s atoms pulled apart by the teletransportation and not put back together right… “I don’t want her hurt.”

“We don’t either. BEll, can you confirm the origin of the teletrans tech Forge is using?” Dathan asked.

“Sure thing. Hang on, I need to run a few discreet scans.” The computer fell silent for a moment. “It’s made by Lorian Industries. The same manufacturer the GSS uses for its systems.”

Xander relaxed a fraction. His own data indicated that Lorian had achieved stable teletransportation. But he still didn’t want to risk Malin.

“Malin will make her own decisions. She’s been doing that a long time.” Niklas looked out the window, his gaze on the planet. “Besides, I think whatever you find down there will be far more dangerous than teletransportation.” Nik looked over at Xander. “No matter what we want for the women in our lives, we have to support their decisions, even if we don’t agree with them.”

“I don’t like it.” Xander was built to protect.

Dathan snorted. “Believe me, I sympathize. I feel that way at least once a day since Eos landed in my life. But the upsides far outweigh the downsides.” A secret smile crossed his lips.

And Xander could guess what the other man was thinking about. Because the last few days with Malin had shown him the pleasurable upsides.

It wasn’t just pushing himself inside her tight, hot body, or putting his mouth between her legs and watching her come. It was working quietly together over engine parts. Listening to her giggle at him while she ate. It was the sound of her gentle breathing while she slept in his arms.

“Hey, Xander?” Dathan caught his gaze. “Clock’s ticking. You have a party to get to. Better go find your tux.”

Time was almost up.

Mal swiped at her eyelids with more makeup. She tried to copy what Eos had done last time. Instead of sexy, smoky eyes, she looked like she’d been crawling around a starship exhaust. With a sigh, she swiped some of the makeup off. Again. She studied her face in the tiny mirror. Hmm, actually now it didn’t look too bad. Her eyes were definitely smoky looking. Next she slicked on some lipstick. The red gloss made her lips look…lush.

She finished doing up her strappy shoes, smoothed a hand over the shiny satin of her dress and then headed for the cockpit.

Her stomach was alive with flutters. Part nerves about the mission, part excitement to see what Xander thought of her outfit.

She headed down the corridor, through the main room and into the cockpit.

And stumbled to a stop.

His back was to her, his legs spread as he stared at Technis outside, but damn, even from this view he was magnificent.

The tailored black pants of his suit clung to his well-formed ass and his muscled legs. His black jacket was tossed over the back of the chair beside him, leaving him in a shirt the color of palest ice.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Mal said. “I’ve dressed up more for you lately than I have in the last year total.”

Xander turned, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Malin…you…”

A smile teased her lips. “Speechless? Now that’s a reaction to make a girl feel good.”

“You look amazing.”

Her heart warmed. So did he. He’d put some sort of black cover over his implant. It was still obviously an implant, but it no longer screamed “Centaxian.” She fingered the fabric of her gown. “Well, I like this dress
a lot
more than my Rhage outfit.”

“It suits you.”

Her dress was a stunning metallic-bronze satin that shimmered under the lights. A metal ring sat at her neck and the fabric fell from that in a drape that teased over her body and left her arms bare. It fell in an asymmetric hem. She’d gotten lucky and found the perfect shoes on Galaxy’s Edge. They were bronze as well, a strappy affair with a heel that was high but not too high. She should be able to run in them—if she had to—without killing herself.

She’d slicked her hair back against her head, and in her ears, she wore a small dangle of jagged metallic shards. The final touches were the metallic bands that wrapped around her bare upper arms. She loved the way they looked against her skin.

Suddenly Xander was there, his big body an inch from hers. She noted the small black bow at his neck. He looked breathtaking. Her heart hammered and stars, she was getting damp just looking at him.

“Stunning.” He traced a finger over her bare shoulder, then over the fabric, rubbing between his fingers. “Silky. Your skin is smoother, though.”

No one had ever called her—Malin Phoenix, salvage mechanic—stunning before. She dipped her head. “Thanks.”

His breath was warm on her cheek. “I still prefer you in your coveralls though.” He nipped at her earlobe. “Or even better, naked.”

Mal quivered. He was getting far too good at this seduction thing.

He straightened, his face taking on a more serious edge. “You’ll stay by my side. The entire time.”

She reached up and straightened his collar. “I’ll have to, you’ll need protection from the ladies.”

“I only have eyes for one lady.” He lowered his head.

“Don’t wreck my lipstick,” she murmured, at the same time wishing he would.

One gentle kiss to the hinge of her jaw. “One question.”

“Anything.”

“What’s beneath this dress?”

Mal pulled back, running her tongue over her teeth. “Nothing.”

His nostrils flared. “You should have lied.”

“The fabric’s too fluid, anything beneath would have left lines.”

“Be quiet.” He gripped her arm. “By my side. All the time.”

Her cousins trooped in. Dathan whistled. Zayn grinned like a fool, and even Niklas smiled.

“Mal, you are a vision.” Dathan circled around them. “And CenSec, I didn’t think you’d scrub up this well.”

“Only five minutes to teletransportation,” Zayn said, moving to the controls.

“Four minutes and twenty five seconds,” Xander said.

Mal smothered a smile.

“Okay, I’ve sent your biosigns through to Technis Control so they can lock onto you for the teletrans.”

Xander grabbed Malin’s hand, his hold tight.

“Right.” Mal swallowed. She really had avoided thinking about the teletransportation.
Please don’t let us end up in a wall or muddled together.

“Good luck. Both of you,” Niklas said.

“Thanks, Nik.”

Dathan came over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Listen to the CenSec. He’ll protect you with his life if he has to.”

Mal saw something in her cousin’s eyes. Had he softened toward Xander? Well. Wonders never ceased. She nodded.

Zayn tossed them a cheeky salute. “One minute.” He shot Xander a grin. “And five seconds.”

“Ready?” she asked Xander.

“Ready.” His hand tightened on hers.

Suddenly light bloomed around them, a bright blue that twisted and turned.

There was a moment of disorientation. A feeling of flying apart and coming back together.

She blinked and they stood in a small room. Two people, a man and a woman, stood at a console nearby.

“Welcome to Technis and the Technomancer’s Ball,” the woman said in a bright voice.

Stiffening her spine and pasting on a smile, Mal slipped her arm into Xander’s. “Come on, honey. I’m terribly thirsty.”

They moved in the direction of the door the woman pointed out.

“Honey?” A hint of a smile on his lips.

A bit more time with him and she bet she could bring out his smile. A real one that he felt deep down. Now if only she could keep him long enough to hear him laugh. The thought made pain twist inside her. Once this mission was over, Centax would be his only thought. She would be a distant memory. Hopefully a pleasant one.

“You’re right, you aren’t a honey.” She pursed her lips studying him. “Maybe hottie?”

He shook his head and they stepped into the ballroom.

“Sweet scrap,” Mal breathed.

The cavernous room was…spectacular. She’d never seen anything like it.

From the ceiling hung huge chandeliers of twisted metal. She tipped her head back to look at the one above them. It looked like it was made from…she squinted…from starships, consoles and if she wasn’t mistaken, satellites.

There were statues made of other metallic parts dotted around the room. They looked like old-fashioned robots fashioned from spare parts—an arm of syndroid, a head made from a computer, the body made from some sort of transport and starship landing struts for legs. They were kind of scary but intriguing at the same time.

But the recessed shelves set into the walls were the most amazing.

Each one housed a technological artifact or treasure. Mal and Xander strolled past each one. An ancient Terran tablet computer, a pre-Sync communicator, an old satellite, an early nuclear starship engine.