Entwined (Intergalactic Loyalties) by Jessica Coulter Smith

“If Lafre is looking, I don’t want her to realize the bag is mine.”
    Cael raised his brows. “You don’t think she’ll find it rather odd that I’m coming out of your house with one when I haven’t been staying here?”
    Bane cursed under his breath and took the bag back. “You’re right. I’ll just have to be careful. If she thinks for one minute that I’m going somewhere, she could contact the pirates and have Ariana executed.”
    “We’ll be careful. I’ll head out first and give you a signal if it’s all clear. Sound good?”
    Bane nodded.
    Cael opened the door and strolled outside, looking as if he hadn’t a care in the world. He casually looked around when he reached his Solaris, then gave Bane a signal. Setting the alarm and closing the door, he walked briskly away from his home. He settled his bag in the back seat and climbed inside, shutting the door firmly. Cael slipped into the driver’s seat and they were off.

Chapter Five
     
    Ariana didn’t know how long she’d been staring out the window, but she turned in surprise when she heard the door to her room open. Another Tarnan entered, this one even taller than the one who’d captured her. They both had dark hair and heavy five o’clock shadows, but that’s where the resemblance stopped. This one had hair past his shoulders, eyes a green-gold. She wondered if perhaps he was a mixed breed.
    “I’m Ghel,” he said, as the door slid shut behind him. “I just wanted to check on you, make sure you had everything you needed.”
    She looked down at her nightgown. “Something to wear would be nice.”
    With a smile, he stepped over to the control panel in the room and began pushing buttons. A moment later, a drawer slid out with leggings and a cropped off the shoulder top, both in green. At least it would match her eyes, she thought ruefully. Too bad there wasn’t a bit more to the outfit, say a few more yards of material. Why did everything in this galaxy have to be skintight and the tops so revealing?
    She took the clothes from him and waited. He didn’t budge.
    “I’m just going to go slip these on,” she mumbled as she beat a hasty retreat into the bathroom. Once inside the small space, she drew her nightgown over her head and put on the new clothes. It took a bit of wiggling to get the pants pulled up, and the top barely covered her breasts. She was obviously more endowed than their usual female passengers.
    Ariana opened the door and peeked into the room. Ghel was still there, waiting patiently. She left the safety of the bathroom and approached him. He eyed her up and down, the light of appreciation gleaming in his gaze. She was used to the attention of men, but there was only one man she wanted looking at her like that and he wasn’t here.
    “Come on, Ariana. I’ll take you around the ship so you won’t get lost.”
    “Lost?” she frowned. “You mean I’m not confined to this room?”
    He smiled. “Of course not. We’d never dream of locking a woman away, not unless you didn’t give us any other choice. As long as you aren’t violent, I don’t see any reason you can’t have free run of the ship.” He raised a finger. “Just stay away from the holding cells. We have some unsavory types down there right now. I’d hate for you to get hurt.”
    She was rather touched at his thought for her welfare. It just proved what she’d always heard about Tarnans, they took care of their women. Bynt might have held a knife to her throat to get her here, but she doubted he would’ve used it. She’d probably been as safe as a kitten. He’d only tackled her because she’d tried to run. If she’d gone with him peacefully, he probably wouldn’t have laid a hand on her.
    Ariana followed Ghel out of the room and down a long corridor. There were many doors down the hall, and she questioned him about them.
    “Living quarters,” he answered. “We have a crew of six and everyone has their own room.”
    “Only six?” she asked in