Page 67 of Stolen Fire
He leaned back against the door. He shouldn’t be watching her like this, but he couldn’t look away, and she was in his room, calling his name.
“Yes.” The word wrapped itself around him, tugging him forward, but he resisted. She didn’t know he was there.
She shuddered, and the move shook him. The sensation of her fluttering around his cock was as unmistakable as it was unbelievable. Whatever the orb was doing to them, he had to lock it down before the entire ship fell under the spell. He shot his arms to the vent cover and removed the plate.
“What are you doing? How’s it possible for your arm to stretch like that?”
Cifer craned his neck to peer at the beauty who was sitting up in his bed, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He grabbed the orb with one hand and replaced the vent cover with the other. “I need to lock this up somewhere safer.”
She popped out of his bed, her cheeks as red as her mane. “I shouldn’t be in here.”
“I disagree. This is exactly where you should be. Every night.”
Blaize shook her head, ran her fingers through her hair. The orb glowed brighter, like it was on fire. “I saw the light in the hall, and… I’m sorry. I came in uninvited. I know that’s against the rules of polite society and probably against the captain’s rules for privacy, but I couldn’t resist. And then I was so tired. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It was just so relaxing and inviting… I should go.”
She darted forward, and he held out an arm, tugging her to him. “Don’t go.” He rubbed his cheek against her soft, pale skin. She melted into him for the briefest moment. A taste of paradise.
With a jolt backwards, she stiffened. “What about the kids? Did you get the information?”
Cifer pressed his lips tight. The orb dimmed. “I did.”
“Really?”
“Let me lock this up with Veda.” She had to have some kind of medical waste container that could hold the damn glowing rock. “Then we’ll make a plan.”
She pressed her lips to his. Her unexpected move was over before he could respond. The door slid open at her command, and she darted out into the hallway. “See you on the bridge.”
Cifer wobbled in place. She’d kissed him. Willingly. Initiated the connection. His heart glowed brighter than the orb. He had a chance.
But first, they had to stop Varik.
Chapter 29
Blaize pressed her fingers to her lips as she rushed to the bridge. She couldn’t outrun the impulse or the dream she had. In. His. Bed. Another wave of heat flooded her. She should be freaked out by the way his arms had stretched unnaturally to retrieve the orb. But all the skills he had—the ability to change his appearance—only intrigued her. She’d have given anything to change her appearance as a child to blend with the members of her community. But the more time she spent on The Treasure, and with Cifer, the less she worried about how she looked. No one teased her about being translucent or a moon rock or a demon. She was just Blaize. Engineer. Desirable.
That last one was the most difficult to resolve. Cifer desired her. As much control as he had over his body, he couldn’t hide the way he reacted. He was authentically attracted to her. But her fascination with the man would have to wait until they could once again deal with the vile pest that kept reappearing.
She took her usual seat on the bridge and logged into the ship’s computer. Before she could decide her first move, Dez and Cyra arrived.
“Captain.” Blaize stood. Cyra looked more relaxed than Blaize had ever seen her. “It looks like you had a good visit with your family, but I’m sorry… There’s been an unexpected development. Cifer had a buyer for the Din’ Gale shipment, like he told you, but then he found out the male was working with Varik. Varik’s here, on Chalcanth. And we think he might have more kids. So, we’re going to try to stop him. Cifer got the information about the ship. I think I can find a way to disable it so Varik can’t get away again before we get proof. And hopefully, there are some decent law-abiding officers here who will keep him in custody instead of accepting a bribe to let him go.” Blaize sucked in a breath.
Rhysa entered the bridge before Dez or Cyra could respond. Her hair was messy, and her clothes were wrinkled. She wore a huge smile. “What’s going on?”
“Varik is on planet,” Dez replied.
Rhysa halted mid-saunter. “He’s an unsquishable bug. What are we doing about it?”
Blaize appreciated that Rhysa aligned instantly about dealing with the problem.
“I’m not sure there’s much we can do.” Cyra’s gills flapped. “If the Cassan authorities didn’t keep him?—”
“He’s got more kids. I’m sure of it.” Cifer went to Blaize and stood facing Dez and the captain. “They were buying the food. All of it. We know Varik only has one other crew member. The sailing ship of the buyer was big, but there were very few crew members when we met.”
“Blaize, you have a plan?” Cyra asked.
“Yes, Captain.” Blaize took a breath. “Cifer should find another buyer while I research Varik’s spaceship. We need to incapacitate it so he can’t leave with the kids.”
Silence lingered, and Blaize pressed her lips together. She didn’t have to fill it.
