around her waist and the other gripped her head as he tried to kiss her.
She kicked and struggled, trying to pull away from him. Saahren grabbed the fellow’s collar and ripped him away.
The miner wheeled, snarling, “Keep out of this,” and flung a punch.
Good. Saahren dodged and jabbed his fist into the man’s face. The crunch of bone was very satisfying
but not enough. He followed through with a savage, rounded punch to the side of the jaw that spun his foe around and dumped him in the soft ground at the side of the road.
He turned back to her. “Are you all right?” He was panting, more from anger than from the brief
exercise.
She stared at him, green eyes wide, one hand clutching her torn shirt. “Yes. Thank you.”
He stepped toward her. She stepped back, lips tight, nostrils flared.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” He glanced over his shoulder at his fallen opponent. “Let me see you to your quarters.”
The alarm faded from her face as she sized him up. “I’m Allysha Marten.”
“I know. I’m Brad Stone.” He’d very nearly said Chaka Saahren. He’d better keep that fact to himself
until he could find out what her objection was.
She smiled and his heart fluttered. “Thank you, Brad Stone.”
“Where do you live?”
“The mine. In the old ptorix mine manager’s quarters.”
He walked beside her, not too close, not too fast, through the tunnel of jungle that led to the mine.
“You’re comfortable with the ptorix?”
“Yes. Very. Where I come from—Carnessa—we live together peaceably. Well… mostly. I grew up
with Tors.”
Tors. That must be her word for ptorix.
“And that’s how you understand their computer systems?”
“I suppose. I can speak their language and that always helps.”
He almost stopped. “Their language? But that’s very difficult.”
She laughed, a low, musical chuckle. “Not too bad if you learn as a child.”
The mine’s metal doors gleamed in the lights around the entrance. Saahren pressed the lock and the
personnel door slid open. He stood aside to let her go first, along the wide central tunnel that led to the control room.
She turned off into a side tunnel. A few more steps and she stopped in front of a stairway. “I live up there. Thanks again.”
Those wonderful eyes held him for just a moment and then she was gone. He stared after her. He should have asked her to dinner or a drink or … or… Idiot. Fool. Standing there like a tongue-tied teenager.
She smiles at me and I melt. She speaks and I just listen to the lilt in her words.
He sighed.I’m in love .
Saahren walked back down to where he’d felled the miner. The man was stirring, trying to sit up. He
grabbed the fellow’s collar and helped him to his feet. His nose was a mess, encrusted with congealed blood and circles were already darkening around his eyes. He had a split lip, too.
“Come on, time to go home.” He grasped the man’s arm and started leading him toward the settlement.
“I feel terrible,” the man muttered, his voice a rasp. “What hit me?”
“I did. I don’t approve of rape.”
“Wasn’t going to rape her. Just a kiss and a cuddle.”
Saahren pushed him along a little faster, anger building. “That’s not how I saw it.”
“Oh, you know what women are like. ‘No’ means try harder.”
“No. No means no, cretin.Which dorm are you in?”
“Twelve.”
Saahren helped him down a path to the front door. “Here’s home. Let me make a suggestion to you.”
The miner turned bleary eyes on him. “Keep away from Miss Marten… friend. Because if I have to hit
you again, you will not stand up. Understood?” He put every bit of menace he could into his tone.
Fear flared in the miner’s eyes. He licked his lips and nodded. “Understood.”
****
Allysha climbed the steps smiling to herself. Brad Stone. He certainly stood out from the herd. Not
handsome; Sean was handsome. This man was lean and hard, close to two
She kicked and struggled, trying to pull away from him. Saahren grabbed the fellow’s collar and ripped him away.
The miner wheeled, snarling, “Keep out of this,” and flung a punch.
Good. Saahren dodged and jabbed his fist into the man’s face. The crunch of bone was very satisfying
but not enough. He followed through with a savage, rounded punch to the side of the jaw that spun his foe around and dumped him in the soft ground at the side of the road.
He turned back to her. “Are you all right?” He was panting, more from anger than from the brief
exercise.
She stared at him, green eyes wide, one hand clutching her torn shirt. “Yes. Thank you.”
He stepped toward her. She stepped back, lips tight, nostrils flared.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” He glanced over his shoulder at his fallen opponent. “Let me see you to your quarters.”
The alarm faded from her face as she sized him up. “I’m Allysha Marten.”
“I know. I’m Brad Stone.” He’d very nearly said Chaka Saahren. He’d better keep that fact to himself
until he could find out what her objection was.
She smiled and his heart fluttered. “Thank you, Brad Stone.”
“Where do you live?”
“The mine. In the old ptorix mine manager’s quarters.”
He walked beside her, not too close, not too fast, through the tunnel of jungle that led to the mine.
“You’re comfortable with the ptorix?”
“Yes. Very. Where I come from—Carnessa—we live together peaceably. Well… mostly. I grew up
with Tors.”
Tors. That must be her word for ptorix.
“And that’s how you understand their computer systems?”
“I suppose. I can speak their language and that always helps.”
He almost stopped. “Their language? But that’s very difficult.”
She laughed, a low, musical chuckle. “Not too bad if you learn as a child.”
The mine’s metal doors gleamed in the lights around the entrance. Saahren pressed the lock and the
personnel door slid open. He stood aside to let her go first, along the wide central tunnel that led to the control room.
She turned off into a side tunnel. A few more steps and she stopped in front of a stairway. “I live up there. Thanks again.”
Those wonderful eyes held him for just a moment and then she was gone. He stared after her. He should have asked her to dinner or a drink or … or… Idiot. Fool. Standing there like a tongue-tied teenager.
She smiles at me and I melt. She speaks and I just listen to the lilt in her words.
He sighed.I’m in love .
Saahren walked back down to where he’d felled the miner. The man was stirring, trying to sit up. He
grabbed the fellow’s collar and helped him to his feet. His nose was a mess, encrusted with congealed blood and circles were already darkening around his eyes. He had a split lip, too.
“Come on, time to go home.” He grasped the man’s arm and started leading him toward the settlement.
“I feel terrible,” the man muttered, his voice a rasp. “What hit me?”
“I did. I don’t approve of rape.”
“Wasn’t going to rape her. Just a kiss and a cuddle.”
Saahren pushed him along a little faster, anger building. “That’s not how I saw it.”
“Oh, you know what women are like. ‘No’ means try harder.”
“No. No means no, cretin.Which dorm are you in?”
“Twelve.”
Saahren helped him down a path to the front door. “Here’s home. Let me make a suggestion to you.”
The miner turned bleary eyes on him. “Keep away from Miss Marten… friend. Because if I have to hit
you again, you will not stand up. Understood?” He put every bit of menace he could into his tone.
Fear flared in the miner’s eyes. He licked his lips and nodded. “Understood.”
****
Allysha climbed the steps smiling to herself. Brad Stone. He certainly stood out from the herd. Not
handsome; Sean was handsome. This man was lean and hard, close to two
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