Page 23 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
"Did he offer you something?" The question came out harsh, accusatory, as he swung his legs over the side of the bed in one fluid motion, ignoring the tearing sensation across his chest. "Career advancement? Protection?"
Her eyes flashed in anger but she answered him.
"At first," she admitted, the words slow as if dragged from her. "He offered... opportunity. When no one else would."
Davis took a step toward her, the movement predatory despite his injury. "And what did he want in return?"
She flinched. Spot chirped in alarm, scuttling closer to her legs.
"It wasn't like that," she said, but her gaze skittered away from his. "Not at first, anyway. He needed an assistant with gaming experience for his neural interface research. I was good. Top-ranked in three systems."
"When did it change?" he pressed, moving closer. The monitors across the room continued their frantic beeping, tracking his elevated heart rate. "When did he start controlling you? Hurting you?"
She stepped back, bumping against the counter behind her. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "What does it matter to you?"
"It matters." His voice dropped, a dangerous edge in the words.
"He started small," she said, the words spilling out. "Criticizing my work. Making me doubt myself. Then it was my appearance, my friends, isolating me bit by bit until he was the only voice I heard. By the time he…” She stopped, swallowing hard. "By the time I realized what was happening, I had nowhere else to go."
Something in Davis snapped. He surged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. He crowded her against the counter, one hand on either side of her, caging her with his larger frame. For a moment, they both froze, breathing hard. Mira's expression shifted from wariness to something else… something that heated his blood.
"You have somewhere now," he said, the words raw.
He stared down at her, aware of everything about her—the rapid pulse beating at the base of her throat, the parting of her lips, the way her pupils dilated as they met his. The scent of her skin filled his senses—clean soap and something unique to her. Time suspended between them, the tension electric.
He leaned down and captured her lips with his own.
The kiss was hard, desperate. For a heartbeat, she froze. Then, with a soft moan, her lips parted under his. Her hands smoothed over his chest as he growled and deepened the kiss. Parted her lips with a hard sweep of his tongue to surge in and taste the sweetness beyond. Somewhere behind them, the monitoring system was going crazy, but all he could concentrate on was her.
Her fingers threaded through his hair, drawing him closer. He traced the curve of her hips with big hands, flirting with the curve of her tiny waist as he lifted her to sit on the edge. The kiss got harder, needier as his hand slid beneath the hem of her shirt. The breath punched out of his lungs at the warmth of her soft skin under his?—
The medbay doors whooshed open.
They froze. Mid-kiss, lips locked. Caught in the moment. Covak stood in the doorway, his huge frame filling the entrance, medical scanner in one hand. His expression shifted from concern to amusement in a heartbeat.
They sprang apart. Mira almost toppled backward off the counter, yanking her shirt down, face flushed red. Davis took a step back toward the bed, a hiss of pain escaping as the movement tore at his wound.
"Well, well, well,” Covak drawled, crossing his massive arms over his chest, sharp fangs visible in the corners of his smirk. "Seems your elevated heart rate wasn't a medical emergency after all, Tell."
"I was just—" Mira started.
"She was checking my—" Davis said at the same time.
Their explanations collided mid-air and Covak snorted.
"Save it. Pretty sure that's not standard medical protocol on any planet I've visited."
Mira snatched up her tablet, refusing to look at either of them. "I should go. You're here now, so..."
She fled without finishing the sentence, rushing for the door. Spot followed, emitting electronic chirps that sounded like it was telling Davis off.
The door slid shut behind her with a soft hiss that managed to sound judgmental.
Davis collapsed back onto the bed, pain overwhelming the adrenaline that had kept him upright. His chest burned, each breath a sharp reminder of his injury—and of what he'd just done.
The big Vorrtan medic stepped forward, scanner running, a grin plastered across his face.
"Let me check that wound, loverboy,” he said, indicating the bed. "Make sure you didn't tear anything important during your... examination."
