Page 25 of Stars on Fire

‘I don’t easily give up, and I don’t hold back.’

‘Is that right?’ he probed, his eyes heating up.

Looking into those blazing eyes, she felt breathless.

In just a few hours, this man had gained the power to rock her emotions from dizzying grief to a deep physical need in seconds.

There was a sort of sorcery in his ability to shift her emotions swiftly, and she felt like she was standing on a precipice of something she couldn’t quite articulate.

She stilled her heart once more and focused on the problem at hand.

‘There’s got to be more of a reason why you’re considering helping us, more than mere sentiment,’ she said, unconvinced.

Kainan raised both hands, hooking them behind his dark-haired head and giving her a long look, this time less heated. ‘I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that we have a symbiotic relationship with your planet. We buy Dunia’s xentium to build ships that bank us all a lot of schill coins. Which makes Massimo Makori a big pain in our collective Edenite ass.’

‘So you’re on board?’

He nodded slowly. ‘I’m committed to hearing you out.’

She fell back deeper into her chair with relief. ‘I thought I would have to use more persuasion to get you to listen to me.’

‘That’s just me,khamila,’ he said softly. ‘Now you’ve got to convince the rest of the Riders.’

Selene was thrown. ‘The who?’

‘The Sable Riders, my brothers. We’re not blood, but they’re my family. I don’t make any final decisions without their say-so.’

Selene threw back her head and took in a few deep breaths. Then she slowly righted herself and pierced Kainan with a pointed look. ‘When can I see them?’

The man gave her a slow, long look, assessing her closely. ‘When did you last sleep? And for how long?’

‘Sleep is for the weak,’ she retorted.

‘Are you always this amped up?’

Selene pulled at her curls, turning one into a knot. ‘Maybe. And especially when my people need me.’

‘Would they rather you were fresh and on your game or exhausted and making mistakes when negotiating their future?’

Selene sucked in air.

‘You’ll meet them soon enough, Selene,’ he said low and deep. ‘You must be tired. I’ll take you to a safe space where you can rest until I convene my brothers.’

3

Pure Edenite Pleasure

Selene

Kainan stashed her in a beautifully appointed apartment a few lifts, corridors and levels away from the spacious dining room they’d been in.

The space was artfully furnished. The holo screens were state of the art, the lighting exquisite, and the couches were top of the line, moulding luxuriously to the spine.

The bed was large, sprawling and covered in silken bedding. Beside it was an expansive dressing room that opened into a workout gym and a large luxurious bathroom on the other side. The head looked spacious, and Kainan informed her that the showers ran with temperature-controlled water. The fridge was full of platters of delicious-looking food and sparkling fruit drinks, and the kitchen counters overflowed with trays of fresh fruit and vegetables.

There was even a vase of swan orchids intertwined with tiger moon proteas which floated in a white cloud above the sleek coffee table.

All in all, there was nothing she found wanting.

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