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  The map flashed on the dashboard screen and Tanith braked suddenly before reversing down a narrow side street. She dimmed the lights and watched as one of the pursuit vehicles sped by. They weren’t so lucky with the second one. The large, slate-gray terra-pod stopped at the entrance to the laneway and a man stepped onto the pavement. Jake recognized the older Cyraelian from earlier. He wasn’t giving up easily.

  Tanith gave him a speculative look. “Have you ever played Tor-bird, Human?”

  Jake could feel a trickle of sweat running down between his shoulder blades. This wasn’t the easy seduction he had planned. He was liable to get killed before he got any information from her. “I can’t say that I have.”

  Tanith revved the engine. “Terra-pod, engage passenger safety restraints.”

  A lightweight harness enveloped him and the terra-pod shot forward, throwing Jake hard against his seat. Their speed increased as they approached the other vehicle and only at the last second did it reverse onto the main street. When they missed the vehicle by inches, Jake let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

  Tanith drove with the same nonchalant skill he’d observed in seasoned pilots. They raced through the streets, staying barely within the speed limits. A short while later, they reached the outskirts of the city, passing a field of wind turbines before turning off the highway and heading into the desert. Only then did she reduce speed.

  The desert was still and beautiful at night. He liked it that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with small talk. Through the open windows of the Terra-pod, he could taste the desert air, sweet, dusty and earthy. In a strange way it reminded him of home. They turned off the main road, moving along a twisting incline until they reached the top of the hill. When Tanith adjusted the controls, the roof of the Terra-pod opened. Jake stared at the view in front of them. A million stars hung in a dark-blue velvet sky. They looked so near that you could almost touch them.

  Tanith gazed at the sky and sighed. “This is one of my favorite places. I envy you, Human. You’ve been there, up among the stars. What is it like?”

  He was supposed to be seducing her, finding out everything he could about Raoul. Instead, they sat side by side, counting shooting stars, and she listened to him talk about what it was like to travel across the galaxies. He couldn’t remember when he’d had such a good time. It was kind of like a date and he was enjoying himself far too much with someone who was supposed to be his enemy. Jake reached down and took her hand in his. “I don’t suppose you want to talk about what happened earlier?”

  He was only half hopeful that she would tell him. Tanith struck him as someone who was adept at getting into and out of trouble.

  She didn’t try to draw her hand away but her face betrayed a fleeting expression of sadness. “Human, I don’t think you would believe me.”

  When Jake raised her hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist, he was rewarded with a smile. “You could try me.”

  She shook her head regretfully. “I wish that I could, but thank you.”

  Tanith leaned across and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He wasn’t giving up that easily. Jake turned his head and his lips caught the edge of her mouth. Her palm brushed lightly against his chest and she pressed her mouth against his in a gentle exploration. Her tongue darted tentatively inside his mouth and then more eagerly, deepening the kiss. Jake slid his hands around her waist, pulling her across his lap. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the fine, silky fabric of her gown.

  Her mouth left his, nipping against his jaw before moving slowly down his neck, her fingers unbuttoning his tunic as she explored. A soft groan escaped his lips. He had never been so turned-on by a kiss and he wanted more. Her attentions returned to his mouth, a languorous, teasing caress that made him wish there was a backseat in the Terra-pod.

  She broke the embrace reluctantly. “That was nice, Human, I wasn’t sure if we would be compatible.”

  “There’s one way to find out.” Jake drew her to him for another kiss. Her mouth was soft and the hot, sweet taste of her was seductive. Desire flared, hard and demanding. He wanted to take her into the night, to press her body against the sands, to sheathe himself inside her while she cried out for him. His hand slid from her waist and he cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb gently across the tip until it peaked.

  Tanith moaned softly and removed his hand. “You tempt me, Human. But it’s almost dawn and I have a meeting in two hours.”

  One of the suns was beginning to rise, casting orangey-pink shadows on the desert sands. She slid off his lap and turned on the engine. “We should go.”

  By the time they returned to the city, delivery-pods had appeared on the streets and the city was beginning to stir. They pulled up outside an apartment block on a tree-lined avenue. “This is where I leave you. I’ve reengaged the auto-response unit. The Terra-pod will take you back to the spaceport. Goodnight, Human. Call me.”

  With the briefest of kisses, she was gone. As the vehicle pulled away, Jake caught a last glimpse of the red dress as Tanith entered the glass lobby of a residential building. He would call her the minute he got back to the ship and he wouldn’t stop calling her until she agreed to see him again.

  Tanith hugged herself as she entered the lobby. The human was perfect. No slime, no forked tongue and he didn’t care about Raoul. Best of all, he talked to her like a real person and not like an object that he wanted to acquire. The elevator doors chimed open and she stepped inside. As the doors closed, a dark hand reached between them, forcing them open again. Her heart dropped like a stone when she saw the men from the night before.

  “Ms. Jasson, Atam wants to see you—now.”

  Chapter Two

  “Not a chance, Jake. This is supposed to be a diplomatic mission. The big guy will lock me in the brig if I breach security on the Cyraelian com systems. Anyway, I thought you were pumping her for information last night?”

  A slow red tide crept up Jake’s neck and Pete roared with laughter. “You struck out? I don’t believe it. The biggest womanizer in six galaxies and you struck out? There is a god after all.”

  “Please, Pete, just take a look.”

  “Not a chance.” Pete swiveled in his chair and turned to face the monitor.

  Jake turned on the view-screen and looked at the yellow planet. Far below them was the vast tract of desert, which made up most of the southern hemisphere of Cyraelia. He had commed Tanith at her office several times and at her home, but she hadn’t responded to any of his messages. Either she didn’t want to see him again or she was in trouble because of him. Both options gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Pete was the only one who could help him. “I’ll get you a date with Ensign Nakamara,” he offered. “She was just telling me yesterday how cute and charming you were.”

  Pete swiveled around in his chair. Jake knew that the techie was shy with women and the petite ensign turned him into a tongue-tied idiot every time she looked at him. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a complete bastard, Svenson?”

  “Frequently,” Jake gave him a lopsided grin. “I’ll be back in an hour and I want to know everything then.”

  Fifty-five minutes later, Pete commed him in his quarters. “Jake, I’ve sent you an encrypted file and you better delete it the minute you’ve finished reading it. It’s not pretty. You may want to think about walking away from this one.”

  Jake’s fingertips hovered over the screen. If it was bad, maybe he should just delete it without reading it. He felt as if he was spying on her. You are spying on her, idiot.

  Tanith’s face appeared in a news com about her appointment as technical advisor for RVS, a consortium that developed tech products for the Cyraelian defense forces. Her bio said that she had graduated top of the women’s military service class for her year. It was strange that she went to military school, given the Cyraelian attitude toward women.

  Jake flicked through the next file. Her service record indicate
d several reprimands for insubordination. That sounded just like her. The next file was Tanith’s transfer to the military school by Cyraelian social protection services. She was just sixteen and the report indicated that she was uncontrollable.

  A sealed juvenile criminal record revealed four counts of terra-pod theft, when Tanith had run away from foster homes. She had been placed in foster care after her parents died. There was a separate law enforcement file on their deaths and it looked as though Pete had spent twenty minutes trying to decode it. He bit down lightly on his lip as he read the report. Tanith’s mother had committed suicide and her father died six months later. Poor kid. Her older brother, Raoul, was deemed to be a bad influence on her because he worked for crime lord Atam Sorza. The same man he had taken Tanith away from the previous night. Damn. He had to find her.

  * * * * *

  It was late afternoon by the time Jake reached her apartment. His Fleet Command uniform drew a curious look from the concierge but he gave him Tanith’s apartment number anyway. He had four hours before he had to be back on board the ship. Jake pressed Tanith’s door com and waited. No reply. Maybe she wasn’t home. Maybe he was getting worked up over nothing. The door opened a crack and he caught a glimpse of a tearstained face before she closed it swiftly. Jake pressed the door com again. “Let me in, Tanith, please.”

  The door of the neighboring apartment opened and Jake received a frosty glare from an elderly resident. “Please leave or I will call law enforcement services again.”

  “What do you mean again?” Jake advanced toward the neighbor, who scuttled back into the safety of her apartment.

  “This is a nice facility. We don’t want her kind here.” With that, the door slammed shut in his face. What the hell was going on?

  “Jake.” Tanith’s voice came in a low whisper and he followed her inside.

  Although she had made an effort to clean up, it was obvious that the room had been ransacked. Cushions had been sliced open, a small table lay broken in one corner and the remains of a large glass mirror had been swept into the middle of the room. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been such a cocky bastard last night, none of this would have happened. Tanith sat on the edge of the couch. Without the exotic makeup, she looked younger and somehow vulnerable.

  “Who did this?” Jake’s heart sank, he guessed what was coming.

  “Atam’s men, when I wouldn’t go with them. They kept asking if Raoul had sent me a key.”

  “Did they hurt you?” Please say no, or he would have to track them down and break every bone in their bodies.

  Tanith sniffed loudly and shook her head. “No. They were just trying to scare me.”

  Jake sat down on one of the torn cushions and pulled her into his arms. He couldn’t do this. Seducing her for information about her brother was one thing, but involving Atam Sorza was something entirely different. Strom would have to find another way of catching Raoul.

  Between bouts of tears, she told him about her wild brother, Raoul, and Atam Sorza, who had drawn him into a life of crime. There was some conflict between them and she was being dragged into it. “Don’t get involved with me, Jake. My life is a mess.”

  Jake stroked her hair away from her face, twisting the silky dark strands between his fingers. “It’s too late for that. I’m already involved.”

  He was surprised to find that he meant it. Tanith snuggled against his chest. Her breathing became slow and regular and he realized that she had fallen asleep. Jake watched through the large window as each of the suns set and the room became dark around them. He was due back on board the ship in less than an hour.

  She didn’t waken when he carried her to bed and draped a quilt over her. Next to a bottle of perfume on her dressing table was a small laser weapon, similar to the one she had worn strapped to her thigh the previous night. On a low shelf near the window were framed images of a well-dressed man and a woman with dark, sad eyes. Above them was an impressive display of gymnastics trophies. He liked the muted opulence of the room. What he didn’t like was the half-packed bag on the floor beside the bed. Tanith was scared and she was getting ready to run. Jake returned to the sitting room and commed Pete before going to explore the kitchen.

  Tanith woke with a start. The room was dark. She couldn’t remember going to bed and there was noise coming from the kitchen. She stretched out her hand, reaching for her weapon. Padding quietly along the carpeted corridor, she opened the door. The human was cooking and, from the aromas wafting around the room, he knew his way around a food preparation unit. The table was set for two. His uniform tunic was draped over the back of one chair. Jake had chilled a bottle of sparkling venon and a red flower sat in a small vase.

  For some inexplicable reason, she wanted to cry again. This afternoon she had started to pack, ready to run away. She hadn’t done that for years and somehow it had brought back all the hurt. She couldn’t do this anymore. She was sick of being used and she didn’t want to spy on the humans, not this particular human anyway.

  Jake pressed a glass into her hand and snatched a brief kiss. “You’re just in time.”

  She thought she had forgotten how to laugh, but Jake’s stories of life on board the ship kept her giggling—especially the ones about his techie friend, Pete, and his disastrous attempts to find a girlfriend. Until they returned to the sitting room, she had no idea how late it was. “Oh Jake, I’m so sorry. Will you get into trouble?”

  He nodded but his eyes were teasing. “They’ll probably lock me in the brig for being AWOL. This could be my last night of freedom for at least a month.”

  Tanith slid onto his lap. “Then we better make the most of it.”

  Her kiss was different from the sensual exploration of the previous night. Tanith pressed her mouth against his, eager and demanding. Her hands slid under his shirt, stroking the roped muscles of his abdomen. Jake groaned with frustration. If Tanith didn’t stop touching him like that, he would take her on the couch. If it was anyone else, he would have given in to the temptation without a single thought. But he couldn’t do that to her, not after today. Maybe they could just fool around for a while before he went back to the ship.

  She pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. Tanith’s mouth began a slow glide down his neck. Her lips fastened on his nipple, biting gently, and he gasped with pleasure. He was rock-hard and he couldn’t fool himself any longer. They were never going to be platonic. Tanith wrestled with the fastening of his pants and slid her hand inside, stroking the hard length of him, before pushing the pants off. “Oh, Human, what a nice surprise.”

  She stood up and pulled off her clothing quickly before straddling him again. He could feel her small hard nipples as her breasts rubbed against his chest. When Jake took one into his mouth and laved it with his tongue, Tanith purred with delight. She lowered herself onto him and he groaned with pleasure. Her mouth fastened on his again and Jake could taste pure raw need. He bucked his hips against hers, driving himself deeper. Tanith bit him on the shoulder. “Not yet. No touching, no moving.”

  She grasped his wrists, placing them behind his head. It took every ounce of self-control for him to sit still. Tanith moved up and down slowly, her head thrown back, her hands tracing a path across her breasts with the tips of her fingers. Her pace increased, grinding harder against him and her tongue flicked out, running a teasing path over her lips.

  “Please,” he groaned. “Let me touch you.”

  Tanith raised her hips until the barest tip of him remained inside her. Jake bit his lip. She was going to pay for this. He was going to make her scream for him. She lowered herself onto him in a single movement, sheathing him inside her, and he growled. That was it. He was taking over. His arms whipped around her waist and he stood up. Still inside her, he carried her to the bedroom. Tanith’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Jake smiled. So it was true. He’d heard that Cyraelian males were sexually passive. Tanith was in for a shock.

  He lowered her gently onto the bed. Jak
e’s hand fisted in her hair and his mouth claimed hers roughly. She clawed at his back, not caring if she hurt him. Jake thrust slowly, watching her face, changing his angle and depth to pleasure her. Tanith arched her back, writhing under him. Her breathing became fast and shallow and Jake could feel her inner muscles grasping him. She was going to come. He thrust hard, sheathing himself inside fully, pumping his seed into her as she screamed out his name.

  Jake rolled over and pulled her into his arms. His heart was thundering in his chest. Tanith had more than matched his passion. There was no coyness, no pretense with her. He wanted to make love to her all night. Her hand reached down to stroke him and he stirred again, responding to her touch. Jake felt her laugh against his chest, a low feminine purr of approval. As he stroked her back, his hand came into contact with a raised pattern of skin along her spine. Tanith gasped. “Did I hurt you, Tanith? What is that?”

  She sat up and pulled away from him. Her expression was wary. “It’s called a Dermatrax. All Cyraelian females have them.”

  Jake stroked her hand. “Let me see it. Please, I want to.”

  Tanith lay facedown on the bed. From her waist to the base of her spine was a series of tiny raised welts in shades of blues and greens, as intricate and shimmering as the silvery skin of a fish. He had slept with women of other species, but none were as strangely beautiful as this. “Can I touch it?”

  Jake moved his fingertip lightly along her spine. The Dermatrax rippled, responding to his touch. “It feels like it’s alive.”

  He placed his palm flat against the base of her spine. It was warm to the touch. It felt like her but not her, as if Tanith was two creatures. Jake bent his head and pressed his lips against it. The Dermatrax had a soft, sweet scent that was faintly intoxicating. Jake stretched out beside her, still stroking his fingers along her spine. “You’re beautiful, Tanith. Why would you hide something like that?”