Unchained (14 page)

Grey watched Cidra. Even mad, she was the
most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He leaned against the
counter for support and gave her an unadulterated smile. “Aren’t
you going to yell at me?”

“
No need. Your punishment
will take care of itself in the morning.” She took his arm and led
him down the hall toward his room. “Come on, I’ll put you to
bed.”

“
Thought you’d never ask.”
He smiled wickedly.

Cidra shot him a warning look. “I was under
the impression you’d sworn off women.”

He stumbled to the side, taking her into the
wall with him, capturing her in his arms.

“
I’ve been meaning to talk
to you about that,” he mumbled in her ear, pulling her firmly
against his body. He breathed deeply, inhaling her unique scent.
Unique and sexy.

He drew her closer and nuzzled her neck,
burying his face in thick, auburn hair. So sweet. He wondered if
she’d mind terribly staying in this position forever.

Her gaze flew up to meet his, eyes sparkled
devilishly back at her. The mellow, controllable drunk seemed to be
sobering up in a hurry, replaced by someone highly amorous and
single-minded. His big body wrapped around her, gilding her with
his heat, accommodating her curves and hollows. Her body reacted of
its own accord, recognizing a truth her mind had yet to admit—he
provided an essential element she craved. Unable to stop herself,
she basked in the rugged warmth.

He was mumbling something in her ear,
something he wanted, something she didn’t even know was physically
possible. She swallowed hard and decided it was time to get him to
bed before he sobered up any more. She wasn’t ready for what he had
in mind.

Cidra renewed her efforts, despite the fact
he was making it more difficult than it should have been. If she
didn’t know better, she’d swear he knew exactly what he was doing.
His hands always seemed to end up on a few strategic locations on
her body.

She managed to get him to the edge of his
bed, breathing hard from her exertion. He swayed, looking down at
her with a most genuine expression.

“
I’m sorry about last
night.”

“
I’m not sure an apology
from a drunk man counts.” She stifled a smile.

He nodded seriously. “Point taken. I’ll give
you a real one tomorrow. How about a good night kiss instead?” His
eyes gleamed as he slipped his hands around her waist.

She didn’t fight him, only
lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t think I can trust
you
tonight.”

“
You’re probably right.” He
dropped his hands in easy defeat. Without warning, his gray eyes
bore into her soul with lucid intensity. “But you realize it’s our
destiny, Cidra. We’re like the gypsy wings. We have no
choice.”

She gasped in surprise at the casual
declaration.

Recovering, she smiled wide, placed her hand
squarely on his chest and pushed him backward onto the bed. “Sorry,
Captain. No green light tonight.”

He landed flat on the bed with a grunt. His
eyes closed almost immediately. She gazed at his peaceful
expression and headed for the door.

“
I do trust you,
Cidra.”

The words stopped her cold in the doorway.
She wondered if it was the Oeno talking or the man and just how
much trust he was offering. She was sure it wasn’t much.

“
It’s a start,” she
whispered and walked out.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The thunderous pounding of his own pulse in
his head greeted Grey bright and early the next morning.

He gingerly placed a hand on his throbbing
head to offer some support. Contrary to what he thought, it was
still intact. The previous night swirled back slowly as a blur of
conversation and salutes and...

Cidra. He groaned.

What did he say to her last night? What did
he do to her?

He struggled to think clearly above the
steady quartet of drums beating a hapless tune on his skull. He was
reasonably sure he hadn’t made matters worse with her, but positive
his condition didn’t do anything to boost her already shaky image
of him.

He was also quite sure he hadn’t seduced
her. For one thing, he was still fully dressed. Belatedly, he
realized she hadn’t seduced him either. Smart woman.

For the better, he
rationalized. Their first time together definitely would not
involve any inebriated parties. He would be in full control. It
vaguely occurred to him that the
if
had now become a
when
.

Grey rolled off the bed, stood up, and
winced as the drums culminated into a roaring crescendo. He swore
under his breath at Barrios and hoped he was suffering a similar
fate.

Time to get cleaned up and face Cidra and
mend whatever damage he’d done last night, along with the damage
he’d done the night before. This was getting downright ugly.

A long soak under the water spray did
wonders for the timpani in his head. He walked out to the small
balcony off his bedroom and took a deep breath.

Morning on Vaasa was unlike any planet he
had ever visited. Exotic flowers opened at dawn filling the damp
morning air with a heady mix of fragrances that gradually
diminished by midday. It always had a soothing effect on his
spirit.

There was movement in the courtyard. He slid
around the main column and spied Cidra stepping slowly on the
grass. It had been years since he had performed it, but he
recognized her carefully orchestrated motions as Kwei, position
number five. There were thirty-two positions in all, indelibly
engraved in every Kin-sha graduate.

The entire sequence could take a standard
hour. Each position strengthened one set of muscles and relaxed
another, a balance of mind and body.

Cidra performed the familiar motions with
complete concentration, her face relaxed while her body worked.
Grey had always thought of Kwei as a means to an end, but she
performed the same steps with an alluring grace and sensuality.

She wore a blue skin-tight sleeveless
outfit, cut to mid-thigh with a low scoop neckline and back. He
studied the intricate muscles in her back, the elegance of her
hands, the perfection of her bottom, the contours of her legs.
Sweat glistened off her golden skin. Beautiful, flawless, glowing
skin meant for touching and caressing.

A flash of desire pumped
through him, and he found himself suddenly, painfully aroused. He
gripped the railing like a vice.
Definitely feeling better
. As he was
asserting some degree of self-control over his body, Cidra suddenly
stop mid-step and went still.

He froze. A few heartbeats passed before she
spun around and looked up at him.

Caught
.

How did she know he was watching her? He was
sure he hadn’t made a sound. Either it was that crazy sixth sense
of hers or she could read his mind. Now that would be a serious
problem. She’d be shocked if she had a glimpse of what he was
thinking.

She smiled and called,
“Good morning Captain. Care to join me?
If
you’re up to it, of
course.”

I’m definitely up to
it
, he grimaced.

The challenge stood.

“
I’ll be right down,” he
responded before he could think it through with the few active
brain cells at his disposal. Even before he finished the sentence,
he was cursing himself.
Now you’ve done
it
. He’d somehow have to maintain control
with her right next to him wearing nothing but that little slip of
an outfit.

Self-inflicted torture, that’s what it was.
Like he didn’t have enough of that this morning. Grey braced
himself as he made his way to the courtyard.

Cidra had known Grey was watching her by the
now familiar prickle in her mind, but she wasn’t prepared for his
undisguised hunger when she turned to face him. For that split
second, he exuded a primal appeal that sent a wild, answering
frenzy rippling through her.

She prayed she had covered up her initial
shock well enough. Too bad it hadn’t kept her from opening her
mouth. What was she thinking inviting him to join her? Another
mutiny. Betrayed once again by her own body.

At that moment, Grey strode across the
courtyard toward her wearing only shorts and a smile. She let out a
small whimper. He was a beautiful man, long muscles flexing and
rolling with every step. Sun played off the planes and valleys of
his body as he drew near. Pure male power. She felt like
prey—frozen in the face of a terrifying, yet fascinating predator,
unable to do anything to save herself.

He smiled when he saw her watching him.
Grinning wide, he stopped in front of her and folded his arms
across his bare chest.

“
So, where were
you?”

She blinked, seeing only broad muscles and
dark, curly chest hair. Aware that it was her turn to speak, she
had to work to get the saliva flowing. “Uh, position six.”

Without a word, he stepped next to her in
standard partner formation and assumed the starting position.
Tamping down the turmoil Grey’s entrance had initiated, she forced
herself to concentrate on the routine. For his part, Grey also
appeared engrossed in the exercise.

Only a gentle breeze, the warm sun, and
silence accompanied the intricate dance as it re-commenced.

She could feel them synchronize, moving
through the paces. They flowed easily, effortlessly, a perfect
match of rhythm and ability. It felt strangely exhilarating, the
moving as one, side by side. Each knew the steps intimately,
accepting the tempo set, enjoying the pleasure of supple bodies
responding to unspoken commands.

Cidra stifled a gasp as a staggering erotic
wave swept over her. A carnal surge that started somewhere low in
her body and unfurled itself in tantalizing ribbons. Never had Kwei
done this to her. Certainly not the many times she’d performed it
with Syrus. She had never before appreciated its raw
sensuality.

Executing a turn that placed her behind him,
she stared at Grey’s broad back in motion, gleaming with
perspiration. Powerful muscles flowed and bunched, carved and
cut.

Moving in perfect unison, the world outside
them disappeared. Bonded together in an ageless art, time lost its
dimension and its meaning. Step after step, movement after movement
as the ancient performance played out. When the last step was
completed, a mutual disappointment descended.

During the cool down steps, Cidra looked at
him with a mix of admiration and amusement. “I’m impressed. I
didn’t expect to see you up and around until mid-day.”

He winced. “About last
night. I hope I didn’t...” He paused and ran a hand through his
hair, trying to choose his words carefully.
Didn’t grope you like a drunken fool
?

“
You didn’t,” Cidra
answered the unfinished question, her blue eyes shining. “But you
tried.”

He gave her a slow smile. “I must not have
tried very hard.”

“
A respectable effort,” she
said.

“
I want you to know, I
don’t do that often.” Noting her single raised eyebrow, he
clarified. “Get drunk, that is. I prefer to be in full control of
my mind and body.”

She laughed and shook her head. “That’s what
you get for introducing Barrios to Oeno.”

Grey grinned. Perhaps he had said something
right last night after all. “How about that tour of Vaasa
today?”

He sensed the hesitation,
saw the uncertainty light in her eyes and the subtle tensing of her
body.
Trust me, Cidra
.

Finally she said, “I’d like that.”

“
I want the bastard dead!”
Mora’s shrill voice cut through the conversation.

She stood shaking with fury in front of
Sandor Wex. She’d been on a tirade all afternoon, storming from one
end of his ship to the other, leaving anarchy in her wake.

Hoping her emotional outburst was near it’s
end, Wex laid his small hand on her shoulder. “Easy, love. I said I
would take care of him, and I meant it.”

“
You should have killed him
over Avion. The idiots you employ couldn’t hit the broad side of a
planet.” She shook off the hand and paced Wex’s office.

Wex glanced at one of his mammoth idiots,
standing silently beside him. Dunkin’s thought processes were slow,
but it was feasible that he could figure out that she was talking
about him.

“
I expected him to be
alone. You never told me he’d have help in the K12,” Wex said
carefully, watching for any cerebral activity from
Dunkin.

“
That woman, that Avion
woman. I want her dead too,” Mora sputtered as she kicked a
chair.

“
Now, now. Once Stone is
eliminated and I have
Calíbre
, we can do whatever we want
with the crew.” He moved toward Mora, confident that Dunkin had
missed the earlier insult. She glared at him as he pulled her to
his wiry body. “I’ll even let you decide what to do with the
woman.”

Mora’s sneer turned to a sultry pout.
“Promise?” She breathed deeply, pressing her prominent chest
against his concave one. Wex nearly disappeared in her red
jumpsuit.

Wex nuzzled her neck. “Anything you want,
love.”

Her eyes focused on a distant dream as he
kissed her cheek. “Yes, anything I want.”

She shot Dunkin a glare. “You, get out of
here.”

Dunkin jumped like he’d been shot. Scowling,
he lumbered out of his boss’ office.