thought she could feel his lips on hers as if they’d kissed ... when they never had.
“They’re going to kill him for sure,” Axi announced, as she slid into the chair across from Anna. “They’ll have every bounty hunter and lowbred soldier of fortune trying to kill him. He just eluded two and killed the third on our last mission.”
Axi’s silver eyes looked like pearls in the offset lighting, as Anna had just managed to hold back her gasp of dismay. Axi was theatrical and shrewd, and Anna didn’t want Axi thinking she cared what happened to Zyn, so she controlled her reaction. She had pretended to Axi that she was relieved when Zyn had thrown her aside.
Anna turned her gaze and she scanned the room for him, while she tried not to look as if she was looking for him. He normally arrived with Axi, although he strictly stayed away from her.
“Just so long as you are alright,” Anna said, and she patted Axi’s hand. “I’m certain the hero of the Osoft standoff can take care of himself.”
The words felt like sticky tasteless lies on Anna’s tongue, but then her gaze had landed on Zyn across the chamber.
She wanted to crimp her eyes and sigh in relief as she drank him in. He was tall and wore a black body suit as usual, but the black licking his body showed muscular strength only hinted at. She’d seen his ripped and chiseled muscles, and had felt them hot and bare against her.
She nearly whined, then jerked her gaze back to Axi.
Axi looked over her shoulder at Zyn, then back at her.
“You only think you are fooling me about my Zyn. I know this look of yearning too well,” Axi said.
Anna started to open her mouth to protest, but Axi continued, “I see it so many times directed at me.” Axi’s hand lifted with a wave, and Anna couldn’t help the smile that turned up her lips, as she stifled a laugh, while Axi finished, “I feel sorry for the fools who desire me; I know it could be torture for them that I deny them.”
Still trying not to laugh at Axi’s large intact ego, Anna said, “I don’t understand why you won’t give at least one of them a chance.”
Axi slanted her beautiful face at her in speculation, but then she turned serious. “I live too dangerous and I think a perfect lover could be distracting.”
Anna glanced at Zyn, and then leaned forward. “You help so many out of slavery, Axi.”
Axi looked thoughtful. “My family was taken as prized sexual slaves, even the youngest. It was long ago, but I think I might find one of them someday.”
Anna’s heart thumped at the personal revelation, and she was about to offer what comfort she could, but a black shape slid into her peripheral vision.
“Vane,” Axi announced. “This new mission’s going to be a bad one, you think?”
Anna watched Vane slide into a seat to her right. He was a big man in a ballooned black spacesuit that always had her fighting a blush, because she remembered the first time she’d seen him, and he had seen her naked breasts.
Now he seemed interested in her, and normally she would have found an excuse to leave the minute he’d shown up, but hearing about a dangerous mission Zyn might be involved in was keeping her rooted to her seat.
Vane’s voice sounded deep, as if air flowed through his words from beneath the black helmet. “Odds aren’t good,” Vane said.
He turned the reflective glass, which had to be in front of his eyes, toward her, until she could see her face clearly stamped in the glass. His puffy gloved hand reached forward and covered her hand sitting next to her empty coffee mug. It surprised her so much she forgot to move her hand.
Then he curled her hand into his, and the texture of his glove felt slick, but his grip was strong. She couldn’t just tug her hand away and be rude. Maybe after having been subservient for so long, it had stolen her forcefulness?
“I might not make it back from this mission, Anna,” Vane said.
“Vane, you are being a sop,” Axi
“They’re going to kill him for sure,” Axi announced, as she slid into the chair across from Anna. “They’ll have every bounty hunter and lowbred soldier of fortune trying to kill him. He just eluded two and killed the third on our last mission.”
Axi’s silver eyes looked like pearls in the offset lighting, as Anna had just managed to hold back her gasp of dismay. Axi was theatrical and shrewd, and Anna didn’t want Axi thinking she cared what happened to Zyn, so she controlled her reaction. She had pretended to Axi that she was relieved when Zyn had thrown her aside.
Anna turned her gaze and she scanned the room for him, while she tried not to look as if she was looking for him. He normally arrived with Axi, although he strictly stayed away from her.
“Just so long as you are alright,” Anna said, and she patted Axi’s hand. “I’m certain the hero of the Osoft standoff can take care of himself.”
The words felt like sticky tasteless lies on Anna’s tongue, but then her gaze had landed on Zyn across the chamber.
She wanted to crimp her eyes and sigh in relief as she drank him in. He was tall and wore a black body suit as usual, but the black licking his body showed muscular strength only hinted at. She’d seen his ripped and chiseled muscles, and had felt them hot and bare against her.
She nearly whined, then jerked her gaze back to Axi.
Axi looked over her shoulder at Zyn, then back at her.
“You only think you are fooling me about my Zyn. I know this look of yearning too well,” Axi said.
Anna started to open her mouth to protest, but Axi continued, “I see it so many times directed at me.” Axi’s hand lifted with a wave, and Anna couldn’t help the smile that turned up her lips, as she stifled a laugh, while Axi finished, “I feel sorry for the fools who desire me; I know it could be torture for them that I deny them.”
Still trying not to laugh at Axi’s large intact ego, Anna said, “I don’t understand why you won’t give at least one of them a chance.”
Axi slanted her beautiful face at her in speculation, but then she turned serious. “I live too dangerous and I think a perfect lover could be distracting.”
Anna glanced at Zyn, and then leaned forward. “You help so many out of slavery, Axi.”
Axi looked thoughtful. “My family was taken as prized sexual slaves, even the youngest. It was long ago, but I think I might find one of them someday.”
Anna’s heart thumped at the personal revelation, and she was about to offer what comfort she could, but a black shape slid into her peripheral vision.
“Vane,” Axi announced. “This new mission’s going to be a bad one, you think?”
Anna watched Vane slide into a seat to her right. He was a big man in a ballooned black spacesuit that always had her fighting a blush, because she remembered the first time she’d seen him, and he had seen her naked breasts.
Now he seemed interested in her, and normally she would have found an excuse to leave the minute he’d shown up, but hearing about a dangerous mission Zyn might be involved in was keeping her rooted to her seat.
Vane’s voice sounded deep, as if air flowed through his words from beneath the black helmet. “Odds aren’t good,” Vane said.
He turned the reflective glass, which had to be in front of his eyes, toward her, until she could see her face clearly stamped in the glass. His puffy gloved hand reached forward and covered her hand sitting next to her empty coffee mug. It surprised her so much she forgot to move her hand.
Then he curled her hand into his, and the texture of his glove felt slick, but his grip was strong. She couldn’t just tug her hand away and be rude. Maybe after having been subservient for so long, it had stolen her forcefulness?
“I might not make it back from this mission, Anna,” Vane said.
“Vane, you are being a sop,” Axi
Similar Books
