Page 43 of Hidden By the Convicts
She had noticed that about him. “He barely talks to me,” she said as she got up to get a glass of water. When she turned, Harlis was standing right behind her, his usual grin gone and, in its place, a heated look.
“Some guys have trouble talking to a beautiful woman,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. He took her hands and turned them over. “The most delicate and beautiful hands I’ve ever seen on a mechanic. I’d trust you to handle my driveshaft any time.”
“You don’t even know what a driveshaft is.”
“I know how to use it, that’s all that counts.”
“Any other cheesy lines?” she asked as she pushed past him and returned to the table. She didn’t sit down this time. The way Harlis continued looking at her had her acutely aware of everything she did.
“Tell me where you learned to fix harvesters.”
“I had a job as a mechanic at the main service depot on Argus. We fixed everything from cargo ships to conveyers. I never fixed a harvester before, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. An engine’s an engine after all. It’s the computer interface that can trip me up, but fortunately, that wasn’t the issue. Parts were missing. And I don’t mean the type that just fall off from wear and tear.”
“Sabotage?”
She nodded.
“Well, now, that’s interesting. We’ll have to tell Bowen.”
“He’ll be angry with me.”
“He already is. I saw him after second shift and told him to try harvesters three and four. He would never have tried starting them up again otherwise. I have to say, the relief on his face was nice to see, but short-lived when I told him you were the one who fixed them. He said we’d discuss it this evening.”
She took a deep breath. “What will he do?”
“To you? Nothing. Maybe he’ll yell a bit. But he won’t risk you refusing him in your bed.” Harlis flashed a weak grin. Behind that grin, she saw a flicker of hurt.
“Are you angry that I’ve been with Bowen?”
“Angry?” He backed her up against a wall and pressed his hips forward. She could feel his hard length. “Princess, every time I think of you riding Bowen, this is what happens.”
“So, you’re not mad?”
He took her hand and placed it on his crotch. “You tell me.”
“Horny,” she breathed out. She stroked him once, to see what would happen. His eyes shut and he looked so handsome.
“Keep going, princess. I’m yours to play with,” he said with a sensual voice that pulled at her. Every time she was with him, she felt lighter, like she wasn’t trapped on a prison planet.
Harlis took things in stride, didn’t let anyone or anything get him down for long. But she worried about what it would do to the unit, to Bowen and Gavin.
Being with more than one man could get complicated. Her mother had told her to secure one relationship at a time, but the circumstances here were so different from on Argus.
With two fingers, she moved up and down his length, hoping to hear that delicious moan again. When he opened his mouth, a glorious sound sailed past his lips. She leaned in and kissed him. It felt good, right, being the one to initiate. Harlis opened to her, but he made no other move.
“Are you afraid to touch me?” she asked.
“Afraid Bowen will beat my brains in if I touch you.”
“He doesn’t own me. The guards don’t own me and—”
Harlis kissed her until she lost her thought, but when he pulled away, she saw the confusion on his face. “I want you. Been rock hard since you got here, but Bowen’s right. And I don’t say that often. This has to be something you want, and not something you think you need to do. You staying here, us protecting you. . . Bowen, Gavin, and I agreed it had to be without a price.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think we could be really good together. Wearegood together. But I have nothing to give you and no way of proving that I’ll do everything I can to protect you. You’ve been here a month, but you haven’t exactly seen me at my best.”
“And what does your best look like?” she asked as she ran her fingers through his thick blond hair.
