Kiss of Eon: Eon Warriors #4 Page 7

  “Damn.” Then she winced, as pain vibrated through her.

  Brack frowned. “Are you hurt?”

  “Maybe.”

  He touched her arm, his fingers sliding over her skin. “Where?”

  “Pretty sure my arm is broken.”

  Brack made an angry sound, and a second later, he scooped her into his arms.

  Heat flooded her cheeks. “Put me down.”

  He ignored her. “Caze, Donovan, please clean up in here. The party’s over.”

  The two men nodded.

  “Down. Now,” she said again.

  She got no response from the arrogant, bossy warrior. She noticed Donovan had his tongue pressed into his cheek.

  “Help me,” she said.

  D raised a brow. “He’s bigger than me.”

  “Not by much.”

  Donovan cleared his throat. “Where are you taking her?”

  “I’m taking your stubborn captain to Medical.”

  “That sounds reasonable, Captain,” Donovan said.

  Allie glared at her second. Brack strode out of the room, and she swore she heard some of her crew giggling.

  “Dammit, warrior. My arm is broken, not my leg.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Brack—”

  “I’m not letting you go.” His voice was tight.

  Fine. Allie reluctantly gave in and relaxed against him.

  Moments later, they entered Medical. Aydin appeared. “Back again?”

  “Your second commander is overreacting.”

  “She has a broken arm.”

  Aydin looked like he was valiantly trying not to laugh. “I’m needed to treat Koro. Radha, will you heal Captain Borden’s arm, please?”

  The female doctor moved over, gesturing to a bunk. Brack set Allie down and, after checking the damage, the woman set a small device on Allie’s arm.

  “It’s a small, clean fracture. It’ll be healed shortly.”

  “Thanks.” When the woman lifted a pressure injector, Allie tilted her neck to let the doctor press it to her skin.

  “How’s the warrior?” Allie asked.

  “The medical commander found a bug in his head,” Radha said. “He’s extracting it now.”

  The female doctor left and Allie jiggled a foot. “How could the bug have transferred to your warrior?”

  “He’s an engineer. I believe he was working with your Ensign Sharma.”

  Damn. So, the bug could pass from person to person.

  The female doctor returned, lifting the device off Allie’s arm. She extended the arm, bent it in. “All clear.”

  Allie loved Eon tech.

  Suddenly, Brack lifted her off the bunk.

  “Warrior,” she growled. “I’m healed now.”

  Once again, he ignored her.

  “I hate it when you don’t listen to me,” she said between gritted teeth.

  “I’ve learned that you’re rather hard-headed sometimes.”

  She snorted. “Takes one to know one.”

  He carried her back to her cabin. She sighed. “We’ll have to scan our crews for any more of these bugs.”

  He nodded. “We’ll delay the next set of training exercises until everyone is clear.”

  After he carried her into her cabin, he set her gently down on her bed.

  Then he scraped a hand through his hair. “I knew I was going to hate this party. I need a drink.”

  She watched him stalk to the synthesizer. The man could move. She watched his lean hips. He moved like a predator, ready and waiting to launch into action. He returned carrying two amber-colored drinks. He handed one to her.

  Allie cradled it, trying not to focus too much on the fact that she and Brack were together with a bed in close proximity.

  “What’s this?” He lifted the origami rocket from the bedside table.

  Her throat tightened. “A paper rocket.”

  “Looks old.”

  She nodded. “I like folding paper. On Earth, it was an ancient tradition, most commonly associated with the country of Japan.” She shrugged. “I find it relaxing.” She was sure an Eon warrior would find it silly.

  He gave a thoughtful nod. “We have several arts we practice that help focus the mind.”

  Allie sipped her drink and stilled. “Mmm, this is good. What is it?”

  “It’s called Mynah nectar. It’s my mother’s favorite.”

  Wow. She couldn’t imagine Brack with a mother.

  He tilted his head. “What?”

  “I can’t picture you as a kid. A little mini-warrior.”

  He sipped his drink. “I wasn’t born with a sword in hand.”

  “You sure?”

  That got a smile out of him. When he smiled, he was unbearably handsome in a rough, rugged way. A way she liked. A lot.

  “Do you have siblings?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “My parents have a…difficult relationship.”

  “Ahh.” Allie leaned back on the pillows.

  Brack’s gaze narrowed. “What does that sound mean?”

  “So it was your parents who put you off relationships.” She sipped the nectar again.

  “They are really bad at theirs.”

  “So? That’s their failing, not yours.” Her parents didn’t have a perfect relationship, but they made it work most of the time. Losing Drew had put a strain on their family.

  “I’m their son.” Brack swirled his drink. “It makes sense that I inherited my father’s inability to commit, and my mother’s inability to love healthily.”

  “We are more than our genes, Brack. You’re a respected second commander. Loyal, steady, smart.”

  “Do you have siblings?”

  She recognized it for what it was, a desperate attempt to change the subject.

  Pain cut her. “I had a brother. My twin. He died.”

  Brack lowered his glass. “I’m sorry.”

  “He committed suicide. You think that means that I will, too?”

  “No! You’re the last person who’d do something like that. You always fight to the very end, with everything you have.”

  She went silent, plucking at the bedcovers.

  “You miss him,” Brack said quietly.

  “Every day. I vowed that I would live for him as well as for myself. Life’s too short.” She smiled. “Drew dreamed of captaining a starship.”

  Something flashed in Brack’s eyes. “He made you the rocket.”

  She nodded.

  “So, you’ve achieved the dream for both of you.” Brack’s voice was low and quiet.

  The old grief never went away, and right now her defenses were low. God, it made it all feel worse. “Drew was in love and his girlfriend broke his heart. Told him that he wasn’t worth it. Instead of moping, drinking too much, and bitching about her, he…”

  Suddenly, Brack pulled her close. His strong arms wrapped around her, and he tucked her against his broad chest.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “About your brother. About what I said.”

  Damn, he felt good. With a sigh, Allie wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

  He felt nice. Too nice. And this wasn’t the burning-hot lust that had been plaguing her for days, this was something else.

  Brack tipped her chin up, his lips brushing against hers.

  Okay, there was also the lust.

  Then his comm badge chimed.

  He groaned and she grimaced. It was a reminder that their jobs were demanding, and that they were never truly off-duty.

  Brack touched his collar. “Go ahead.”

  “Second Commander, Medical needs a word with you,” a warrior said.

  Brack pressed his forehead to Allie’s. “I have to go. Get some rest.”

  “Sure.”

  “I mean it, Allie.” He rose. “You’re to stay in bed and relax.”

  Yeah, like that was going to happen. She made a shooing motion. “Off you go, Second Commander. Get out of my hair.”

&n
bsp; Chapter Nine

  The next morning, Brack knocked on Allie’s door. For reasons he refused to analyze, he was excited to see her again.

  When she opened the door, she was standing there in her workout gear. “Hey.”

  He handed her a baked roll from the dining room. “Breakfast.”

  “A bacon and egg roll.” She smiled. “Who told you I was addicted to these?”

  “Donovan may have let it slip that they were your weakness.”

  She bit into it and moaned.

  Brack felt his cock sit up and take notice. Cren.

  “Well, now you know.” She closed the door behind her. “I was headed to the gym to work out.”

  He walked beside her. “We need to plan out the next exercises, but first, all crew members need to be scanned for Kantos bugs. Aydin’s devised a schedule.”

  She nodded. “Starting with us.”

  They reached Medical and Brack gestured her inside. Aydin raised a hand and waved. The medical commander was standing beside a high-tech scanner. “Take a seat.”

  It took no time for him to run the scanner over them.

  “All clear,” Aydin said.

  “You have a schedule for testing the crews?” Brack asked.

  Aydin nodded. “Both the medical crews are already done, and we’ll be working through security, the bridge crews, and engineering as a priority.”

  “Let us know if you find anything,” Allie said.

  When they reached the gym, Allie headed for the treadmill. As she picked up the pace and started running, Brack watched her. In fact, he could watch those toned legs run all day.

  “Sir?”

  Brack set his weights down and turned to the young bridge warrior who’d just approached without Brack noticing. “Yes, warrior?”

  “I need your approval on several orders.” The young man held out a small comp screen.

  Brack read through the information and touched the screen to sign off. They were mostly items Davion would have taken care of.

  Once the young man had left, Brack moved out onto the mats. He saw Allie had worked up a sweat, and was running at an impressive pace.

  He started going through one of his warrior routines, bending, dipping, and stretching his body.

  “What are you doing?” Allie appeared beside him.

  “The karna. It’s about focus and strength. For a warrior’s body and mind.”

  “It looks a little like some of the martial arts we have on Earth. Drew did a discipline called judo for a while.”

  “And you?”

  She nodded. “I took it up when he did. I got all the way through to my brown belt.”

  Brack studied her for a moment.

  “What?” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Do you do anything just for you?” he asked.

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Your brother did martial arts, so you did. He wanted to be a captain, so you became a captain.”

  She scowled. “Don’t psychoanalyze me, warrior. Your issues sound far worse than mine.”

  Clearly, he’d struck a nerve. “Here.” He showed her one of the warrior moves, stretching an arm out.

  Blowing out a breath, she moved into the pose and mimicked the move perfectly.

  He moved into the next pose, then slid into a kick, followed by a lunge, before stretching out his other arm.

  Allie copied him, and he moved closer, adjusting her arm to get it in the correct position. Then he stilled. His chest was pressed against her back, and they were so close he heard her suck in a breath.

  He slid a hand down to her hip, loving the way she filled out her leggings. “You smell so good, Allie.” He leaned down, breathing in her hair.

  She moaned. “I thought we weren’t doing this?”

  He pressed closer. “Mmm.”

  She shivered. “You don’t do relationships. I don’t do relationships.”

  His mouth was a whisper above her neck. “And we’re both busy.”

  “And we have the success of an alliance between our two species riding on us.”

  He licked her skin.

  Her lips parted and she arched her head, giving him better access.

  “Yes, we did agree not to do this, didn’t we?” He wrapped his hands around her waist, and she pushed her ass back against him.

  By Ston’s sword, he was going to combust right there in his ship’s gym. He couldn’t stop himself from sliding his hands up her firm torso and then cupping her breasts.

  “Shit, we are so screwed,” she muttered.

  “Tell me to stop.” He licked her skin, shaping her glorious breasts in his palms.

  She undulated against him, her ass torturing his swollen cock. “I can’t.”

  Using his thumbs, he flicked her nipples and felt them pebble in response. “I want to suck these, then lick you all over.”

  “Oh, God.”

  Brack forgot that they were standing in the middle of the Desteron’s gym, where any warrior could walk in at any moment. When Allie spun, he was already pulling her closer and lowering his head. Their mouths met in a hungry kiss.

  They drank each other up, tongues tangling. They kissed like they needed the other to breathe, to survive. Allie pressed into him, her breasts rubbing against his chest. Her hand slid into his hair, tugging hard. She kissed exactly how he’d expected—fully engaged, with everything she had. He loved the husky, hungry sounds that came from her throat.

  Then Brack felt the vibration and heard her make an annoyed sound. She broke the kiss and looked down at her watch.

  “Damn, I have a message from Donovan.” She huffed out a breath. “I’m needed on the Divergent.”

  Brack pulled in a breath. Well, at least it wasn’t his comm that was interrupting them this time. “I think the universe might be trying to tell us something with all these interruptions.”

  “That we should follow the rules and not jump each other’s bones?”

  He stroked his chin, trying to get his body to calm down. “I’m usually pretty good at following rules.”

  Allie pressed her hand to his arm. “I’m not.” She went up on her toes and nipped his lips.

  Brack clamped his hands on her hips and groaned.

  “But I’m good at making rules and giving orders,” she said. “Kiss me, warrior.”

  With a groan, he obeyed. He kissed her deep, drawing the taste of her into him.

  She pulled back panting. “I have to go.”

  “Go.” If she didn’t move in the next second, he was finding a private corner where he could strip her naked and do very naughty things to her.

  She flashed him a smile. “I’ll be seeing you later, Second Commander.”

  He watched her saunter out and dragged in a breath. He wanted her. Fiercely. And he couldn’t control it or put a stop to it.

  Cren, he didn’t want to. Shaking his head, Brack moved onto the treadmill to try and run off some of his frustration.

  He’d been going at it for twenty ship minutes when Donovan entered.

  The big man raised a hand. “Hi, Brack, have you seen Allie? You haven’t tied her up somewhere have you?”

  Brack slammed his hand against the emergency stop. “She isn’t with you?”

  Donovan frowned. “No.”

  “You didn’t send her a message earlier to meet you?”

  Now Donovan straightened, his face hardening. “No.”

  “Cren.” Brack leaped off the treadmill. “Call her.” He was already running when he hit the door. “We have to find her.”

  * * *

  Allie came to, groggy and nauseated.

  What the hell had happened?

  She realized she was being dragged by her arms. She blinked, taking in the corridor. It was empty, but she recognized the Divergent.

  Blearily, she squinted at the markings on the wall. They were close to Engineering.

  She twisted, trying to pull free of her captor, but strong hands du
g into her wrists. She winced and twisted her head. Her eyes widened.

  “McNamara, what the hell are you doing?”

  Her chief engineer looked down at her, his face twisted with rage.

  Her stomach clenched. Fuck. Kantos bug.

  “The drug will keep you uncoordinated,” he rasped out. “Until we can leave.”

  Great. He’d drugged her. She had vague memories of heading to find Donovan and someone jumping her, then a sting on the side of her neck.

  “Leave the ship, and then what?” she asked.

  “The Kantos have plans for you. They want the Space Corps information you possess to plan their glorious conquest.”

  Allie snorted. Their glorious extermination, he meant. They wanted to use humans as a fucking food source. So, they wanted to tear into her head, suck out classified information, and then she’d probably end up with a bug shoved up her nose. Ugh.

  She tried to fight him, but he was right. Her limbs felt heavy and floppy, and she had no control or strength.

  Fuck a duck. Okay, Allie, think.

  McNamara continued dragging her down the corridor, and all she could think was she was screwed.

  He started to slow and she twisted her head. Shit. She could see where he was headed, and her belly curdled

  The escape pods.

  “They’ll know we’ve launched,” she said.

  McNamara scoffed. “I can hack the system. They won’t know for hours.”

  And by then, she’d be on a Kantos ship somewhere, being tortured. Now, she felt like a swarm of bees had taken over her belly.

  As they neared the first pod, she grabbed the edge of the doorway and held tight. McNamara tugged and growled, then he kicked her hand.

  Ow. She let go, and he dragged her right in front of one of the escape pod doors. He touched the panel and the door whooshed open.

  The escape pods on the Divergent were quite large, and contained seats for several people.

  He dragged her in and dumped her on the floor. Then he turned to the control panel and started tapping.

  “Launch sequence initiated,” a melodious female computer voice said. “Please fasten your safety harnesses.”

  McNamara was still tapping. Trying to not gain his attention, Allie dragged herself up. She crawled toward the door.

  “No,” McNamara barked. He grabbed her and shoved her back.