Mercenaries (36 page)

She angled her head toward the tube. “Then there's the blast he took for me. If it had hit me, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

“I'm aware of that.” August eyed her, bracing his big fists on his narrow hips. “Tell you what—I'll talk to him when he comes out of it. I'm a pretty good judge of character.”

She closed her eyes in relief. “Thank you, Captain.”

“You might want to hold those thanks, Lieutenant. If I decide we can't take him, what are you going to do?”

Cassidy put out a hand and rested it on the cool, curving side of the tank. “I think . . . I'll have to go with him. I'm in love with him.” She stopped, her mouth working in surprise. “Hell, I hadn't realized that until this moment.”

August's smile was dry. “Yeah, sometimes it sneaks up on you like that.”

“It doesn't make sense—I hardly know him. But . . .”

The captain studied her face. “I suspect you know him a lot better than you think,” he said quietly. “And if you're willing to give up your berth on the
Starrunner
for him, that says a great deal.” He smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I've got a feeling he's going to pass my test.”

“This is so strange,” Cassidy murmured, as much to herself as her commanding officer. “I've only known him a couple of days.”

“True, but it's been a hell of a couple of days.”

She snorted. “That's putting it mildly.”

THREE days later Nathan studied Rune Alrigo across the width of his captain's desk. The big Dharani was dressed in a black civilian unisuit somebody—probably Cassidy—had produced from ship's stores. His gaze was as level and respectful as it was wary. Sebastian sprawled in the other chair, green eyes watchful.

“I understand you took a beamer blast for my crewman,” Nathan began, his sensors focused on the man. “Was that intentional?”

A hint of defiance heated the pale gaze. “Yes, sir.”

Nathan's comp silently confirmed he was telling the truth. Not that he needed the confirmation; it was written all over Alrigo's face.

“Thank you.” The captain sat back in his seat, studying him. “Why?”

The Dharani shrugged. “I had vowed to protect her.”

“She told me you told her that when she lost that Claiming Duel, she also lost the right to refuse any order you gave her. Wouldn't it have been easier to order her to bang your friends?”

He didn't flinch at the blunt question. “Yes, sir.”

Nathan looked at him, silently demanding he elaborate.

“She would not have obeyed, and they would have hurt her,” Alrigo told him. His expression tightened with remembered anger.

“So you were willing to betray your friends and your people to keep her safe?”

Temper stirred in those eyes, only to be ruthlessly tamped down. “There is no honor in brutalizing an outnumbered, unarmed woman.” He took a deep breath. “Just as there's no honor in turning her into an object of contempt. When I saw the way they were treating her, I realized it would be even worse on the
Conquest
. I couldn't allow that.”

“Commendable of you,” Nathan said. “And having made that decision, you had to go with her, because they'd have killed you otherwise.”

For the first time Rune looked startled. “No. I have always been prepared to die if my people demanded it. I went with her because she couldn't have flown the transport without my codes.”

“That's the first half-truth you've told. There's more to it than that.”

A muscle flexed in Alrigo's jaw. “All right. I went with her because I had to be with her.”

Nathan smiled, recognizing a plain fact even without the comp's confirmation. “So. Interested in joining the crew of the
Starrunner
?”

The Dharani blinked once before the relieved grin spread across his face. “Yes. Cassidy belongs here.”

Nathan rose to shake his hand. “And you, evidently, belong with Cassidy.”

R
UNE'S rich baritone rolled over the docking deck as every man and woman who could get off duty stood listening. When the last notes faded, the crowd broke into whistling applause. Cassidy smiled indulgently at the flush of pleasure on his face as he bowed.

Just about the entire crew of the
Starrunner
had assembled on the launch deck. It was the only place on the ship big enough for a gathering that size, and it was still packed.

Everyone was in a good mood, too, judging by the yells encouraging Rune to sing another song. With a grin, he allowed himself to be convinced.

“All that and gorgeous, too,” Trin sighed in Cassidy's ear as he launched into the next song. “It's really not fair.”

“And singing is only one of his
many
talents.” Cassidy gave her friends a teasing grin.

“I'll bet I can guess what the others are,” Zaria said, plucking a canapé from a tray carried by a passing robot. She bit into it and moaned at the flavor. “Food that didn't come from a ration pack. Yum. Your work, Trin?”

Trinity shrugged. “Some of it's mine, some of it is a gift from the New Galvastonians.” She'd taken over the hydroponics department after discovering that the crewman in charge had no idea what he was doing. Experienced farmer that she was, she'd soon had it producing fresh fruits and vegetables that were a hit with the crew. “The president sent his personal chef up with a transport full of goodies.”

As the robot looped around her on its floaters, Cassidy filched something colorful and exotic from its tray. “Judging from this and the victory bonus they paid, the Galvastonians must be pretty happy with us.”

“A lot more so than the Kalistans are with the Dharani, anyway.” Trinity's smile was brightly nasty. “I understand all the Tribeships are headed for Kalista. Apparently somebody tried to stiff somebody.”

Cassidy smiled grimly. “Which is not the kind of thing the Dharani will take lying down.”

“I hope the Tribeships kick their asses,” Zaria said. “Serves the greedy bastards right for invading in the first place.”

Cassidy raised her glass in a toast. “Here, here.”

The three women had become quite close since Trin and Zaria had joined the
Starruner
's crew. Cassidy was glad to see both of them had settled in well. Sebastian, as executive officer, had quickly put Zaria's genius for organization to good use. Cassidy suspected it wouldn't be long before Captain August made her quartermaster.

God knew Trin's green thumb was certainly welcome.

Her attention wandered back to Rune as the crowd broke into whistles and cheers. She only hoped he settled in as easily as her friends had.

Of course, the
Starruner
was a mercenary vessel, and mercs were used to being enemies with people they later fought beside. She suspected the rest of the crew would come to appreciate and trust Rune quickly enough. Particularly since he'd gained the captain's seal of approval, not to mention a spot in the fighter wing.

The real question was, could Rune put his past behind him with the same ease?

CASSIDY keyed open her quarters, and she and Rune reeled inside. He promptly pulled her into his arms. “That was . . . an interesting party.”

“There was certainly a lot of newlywed cooing going on,” Cassidy said, stepping full against him and hooking her hands behind his neck. “When the women weren't teasing me about my handsome captive.”

His eyebrows flew upward. “Captive?”

She grinned up at him. “Maybe it was captor. I keep getting those two confused.”

“I noticed,” Rune said dryly.

“Kiss me, Captive.” She rose on her toes and took his lips. His mouth was silken, soft, a delicious contrast to the ridges and hollows of his hard body. The hands around her waist tightened. They both groaned.

Rune sent his tongue questing delicately between her lips, tasting her, and she swirled her own around it. He cupped her backside, gave it a gentle squeeze, stroked. She angled her head and closed her teeth gently over his lower lip in a teasing bite. The fingers caressing her butt tightened, pulling her against the erection swelling behind the fly of his unisuit. Unable to resist, she rolled her hips as their tongues dueled gently, gliding and retreating in sweet carnality.

When they finally broke the kiss, both were breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers, panting. His free hand rose to cup her breast. Squeeze. Stroke.

“I love you.” The words were out of her mouth before she intended to say them.

Rune went still except for a sudden inhalation. When he lifted his head, there was a surprising vulnerability in those pale eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I don't say something like that unless I am.” Which is why she'd never said it before.

Despite everything, a sudden anxiety clutched at Cassidy's chest. Had she misread his feelings for her?

He cupped the side of her face with long, warm fingers. “I know you feel . . . grateful for what I did. Shielding you. Going with you. But—”

“This isn't gratitude, Rune.”
He wants reassurance,
she realized, startled. This big, powerful warrior felt as vulnerable as she did. She rested both hands on his chest. The warm muscle flexed nervously under her hands. “I've fought beside men all my life,” Cassidy told him softly. “One or two of them has saved my life. But I never felt about any of them the way I do about you.”

“I love you.” His voice was low, rough. “Finding you was like discovering something that had always been missing from my soul. It's just . . . right.”

Relief poured over her. He did feel the same. “Yeah. That's it. That's it exactly.”

This time when she kissed him, he pulled her off her feet. With a moan Cassidy coiled her legs around his waist as he turned with her, stepped to the bed. They tumbled to the gel mattress with a soft plop, then promptly began pulling at the seals of each other's uniforms.

Something tore. Cassidy didn't care, too intent on getting at Rune's warm skin. Her boot hit the wall with a thump. He wrestled the other off her foot, then gave it a toss. Pulled her suit the rest of the way down her legs. Stood just long enough to push his own uniform past his hips. His cock sprang out at her, bobbing and flushed with heat.

She sat up and reached for it, closing her fingers around its warm satin width, smiling at his groan of pleasure.

Rune caught his breath as she opened her mouth and took him in, swirling her tongue over the head. “Oh, no,” he muttered, pushing her back and catching her behind the knees. Spreading them. “My turn.”

She braced on her elbows and grinned. “How about a little sixty-nine?”

Rune lifted a brow, obviously intrigued. “Which is what?”

“You suck me while I suck you.”

Instantly grasping the possibilities, he smiled.