Malfunction, page 23
Except she didn’t want the power in check. She wanted him out of control. As out of control as she felt. She bucked her hips against him, growling and lowering her head to the curve of his throat, biting down hard, and his hands tightened on her ass, his cock swelling inside her. He liked that. Good, she had been known to bite and scratch just a little.
He shifted her, holding her weight easily, pulling out of her exquisitely slow, the drag of his flesh sending tingles through her entire body. Then he pushed back in, entering her easily this time. She widened her legs, trying to get him closer, and he pulled her tighter, grinding against her, the pleasure building and building until she hovered on the edge of the stars.
He was moving faster now, sweat beading his forehead, and she buried her face against him, clung on for all she was worth, her whole being concentrated on the place where their bodies connected. She’d never experienced this sense of togetherness. Always in the past, she’d been totally her and them. Now she felt as if her very identity was merging, changing, blending with his. Becoming one.
For a second, the thought terrified her, and she must have gone still. He sensed the change and raised his head. His eyes were dark with desire, but something in them calmed her fears. Perhaps that he looked as shell-shocked as she felt.
“Kitten.” The word was half groan.
He didn’t say anything more, just lowered his head and took her mouth in a drugging kiss while he moved inside her, against her. She stopped thinking and let sensation take over. Felt the exact moment when she tipped over the edge and into the abyss. Pleasure pulsated through her, and she threw back her head and tightened her legs, squeezing him to her as he released the last hold on his control and came with her.
He rolled his hips, grinding against her, and she came again as though the pleasure would never end.
At last, he went still, and for a minute, they clung together. When he pulled out, she wanted to protest, but she clamped her lips together to keep the words inside. Logan shifted her in his arms, turned around, and slid down the wall so he sat legs stretched out, with her cradled in his lap, stroking her hair that had somehow come loose.
She thought about saying something but didn’t trust the words that might slip out of her mouth.
Everything felt weird, different. Scary.
Maybe he felt the same, because they sat in silence for what seemed an age. But good silence. While he stroked her hair. Traced patterns on her skin until she purred with pleasure. But the horrible niggling feeling that their time was limited was nudging at her, and finally, she cleared her throat.
“I don’t know what’s happening.”
“Me, either,” he said. “All I do know is it’s never happened before.”
“Are you going to go all mushy on me?”
A chuckle rumbled through him. “I think I might.”
There were those jumbled emotions again, fear and hope and something she was too afraid to identify. Maybe Logan was braver than her. Maybe he’d have the courage to say it out loud. Did she want that? It would change everything.
But if they were going to get deep and meaningful, then she wanted to see his face while they were doing it. She wriggled in his lap so he loosened his hold, then she twisted so she sat, straddling his thighs, his cock half hard between them.
She cupped his face, looked into those beautiful eyes, kissed his mouth, then sat back on her heels. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She just needed a moment.
He smiled. “I like you, Detective Mendoza.”
Hmm. That wasn’t what she’d expected.
He reached up and smoothed the line between her brows. “Hey, I’m building up to this. But it’s important, the liking thing. I mean, how shitty would it be if you fell—” He broke off, shook his head. “Balls.” Took a deep breath. “I can do this. Really, I can.”
“You can, Logan. You’re brave. You’re a hero. You have medals to prove it.”
He grinned, then the smile faded, and his face settled into a serious expression. His hands slid around her waist to hold her, as though he suspected she might bolt. She wasn’t going anywhere. She was on edge, excitement shimmering just below the surface. Willing him to say the words.
“Katia Mendoza, I love you.”
Her eyes pricked. She lowered her head to his and kissed him slowly, her tongue pushing inside, tasting him. His cock stiffened between them. Raising her head, she stared into his eyes, opened her mouth—
Someone banged on the door, and a voice came over the comm system. “Katia, you have ten seconds to put your clothes on and then we’re coming in.”
“Well, that sucks,” she muttered. Not what she’d been planning on saying. “I should have shot out the door lock.”
Should she say it quickly? But it didn’t seem right with Dylan hovering outside the door. She gave Logan a last peck on the cheek, and then she jumped up and grabbed her dress, pulled it up, and tied a quick knot at the back of her neck. She glanced around for her panties but couldn’t see them anywhere. Logan was still seated on the floor, a dazed expression on his face. “Pull up your pants, soldier.”
He shook his head, pushed himself to his feet, and pulled up his pants as the door opened. She noticed something black on the floor, her panties; Logan swooped down and picked them up as Dylan appeared in the doorway, Adam behind him.
They took in the view with narrow-eyed disapproval.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Dylan growled. “Fucking inconsiderate. Do you know what Rico would have done to us if anything had happened to you?”
She shrugged.
Logan reached down and picked up his jacket, put it on.
He loved her. Or at least he’d said he loved her. Logan wouldn’t lie. He loved her. She needed to tell him she loved him, too. They might all die any moment, but for now, it was enough.
“Stop grinning like a fucking Cheshire cat.” Dylan glared at her.
She wiped the expression from her face. “I’m not.”
“You are. He must be a fucking good lay.”
He was, but that wasn’t why she had to concentrate on keeping the smile from curving her lips. Suddenly, she wished she’d told him. She wasn’t ashamed. And who knew what might happen next? Someone had already tried to kill them three times. You couldn’t guarantee anything. Coming to a decision, she crossed to where he stood, came to a halt in front of him, gave him a lingering kiss on the mouth, then whispered in his ear. “I love you, too.”
“Jesus,” Dylan muttered. “I’m going to puke.”
Logan ignored the other man, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her back, and she forgot everything for long moments. Finally, he sighed against her lips and put her away from him. “Let’s get back to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
She loved him.
It might mean nothing. Hell, it would probably mean nothing—there could be no future for them together when she wasn’t even human. She might even be immortal.
And maybe no future apart, either, if the whole world crashed and burned around them.
But hell, actually, it meant everything.
She loved him.
He didn’t think anyone had ever loved him before. Certainly no one had ever said the words.
It made his insides all sort of—
“Get that gormless expression of your face,” Dylan said, glancing over his shoulder.
Instead, Logan reached out his hand and found Katia’s. He didn’t think he’d ever voluntarily walked hand in hand with a woman, either. Christ, he was repressed.
Dylan was walking in front of them, Adam behind, no doubt to prevent them from making a run for it. But where was there to run? They had to decide what to do next. He wished they could return to the Trakis Two. Hide away.
But he was still a soldier in the army. He had no choice but to follow orders. He should probably head back to base, report in, which meant the Trakis One. But he didn’t want to go. Except a little part of him did. Because he was beginning to believe that the answers to everything were on the Trakis One.
They’d come to a halt outside the bridge, and he forced himself to say the words. “I think we should go back to the Trakis One.”
He was hoping she’d argue with him. But nope. “I was thinking the same,” she said. She tugged her hand free and reached into her bag, pulled out a bottle, and took a long swallow. She handed it to him. He took a mouthful and waited for her to continue. Dylan cleared his throat, and Logan reluctantly handed him the bottle. Dylan wasn’t his favorite person right now. If he hadn’t turned up when he did, there was a good chance that Logan’s dick would have been deep inside Katia again at this point. Bastard.
“The answers are there if we can work out where to look,” she continued. “I think we have to assume that the central information center is well and truly gone—whether by accident or design. So we can’t get the information we need, but there must be other stuff we can get. I think we need to examine the ship’s logs and look for someone who visited the Trakis Three shortly before the first deaths.”
He blew out his breath, grabbed the bottle from Adam, took another gulp, and handed it on to Katia. “Maybe you should go back to the Trakis Two with Dylan and Adam,” he suggested.
“You mean where it’s safe?” Katia replied, tossing him a narrow-eyed look.
Dylan snorted. “You’ve got a lot to learn, soldier.”
“I was just thinking—”
She patted his arm and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, don’t. I don’t need you thinking about my safety. I have these two assholes to do that. We both go—”
“We all go,” Dylan said. “Bodyguards, remember?”
She patted his arm again. “Looks like you’re stuck with us.”
He was glad and worried. And worried and glad and…
Love was a hard thing to navigate.
At that moment, someone approached them from behind, and they all turned, Dylan and Adam moving subtly so they stood between them and the newcomer. It was Callum, and he had the most enormous grin on his face. He looked happy, but maybe he was just enjoying his party.
“Hey, guys, what are you doing loitering out here?”
“Just heading back in.”
He caught sight of the bottle in Katia’s hand and held out his own. She handed it over, and he emptied it in one swallow. The grin was back. Definitely suspicious. “What’s going on?” Logan asked.
“Come inside, and I’ll tell you. I’m about to make a very important announcement.” He waved them into the room, and they all shuffled inside. The party was going well, though there was a definite manic feel to it now, as if everyone was trying a little too hard. Callum left them by the door and weaved his way through the room to where his second in command stood. They spoke for a moment. What was going on?
“Sergeant Farrell?”
He turned to find Pryce standing at his side, a glower on his face. Beside him stood another member of the Trakis One crew, a woman in a blue shirt—Anna, the Tech supervisor they’d met the first day of the investigation.
“Layla appears to believe that you are continuing the investigation,” Pryce said.
Logan glanced at Katia, and she gave an almost imperceptible shrug. No help there.
“She must have misunderstood,” he said. “We’re merely finishing up the report. We should be able to submit it very soon, and then the investigation can be officially closed.”
“Good. That’s probably it. Make sure I get a copy of that report ASAP.” He gave them both a nod and walked away, heading toward where Layla stood across the room.
Anna gave them an uncomfortable smile. “Layla’s a good officer, but she’s likely not feeling herself right now.”
“Why’s that?” She’d seemed okay to him. Maybe a little less friendly than she’d originally appeared, but then there were probably good reasons for that.
Anna raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t know? Layla’s family members were on the Trakis Three. Her daughters, they all died in the explosion. So cut her some slack? She’s hurting right now and trying not to show it. To do her duty.” She nodded to them all. “Enjoy the rest of the party.”
Logan stared after her, shock holding him immobile, the words swirling in his head. As she disappeared into the crowd, he turned to Katia. “What the fuck?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. So she lost her family and never said anything. That doesn’t mean anything. Does it?” She thought for a moment. “Though she did lose it straight after the explosion. She was screaming. I thought I was going to have to slap her. But then she pulled herself together. That doesn’t make sense. Unless she screamed at the explosion and then went quiet with…shock? But she didn’t act shocked.”
No, she certainly hadn’t acted like a woman who had recently lost her children.
Maybe she had already known they were dead.
Was he jumping to conclusions? It didn’t seem possible. And he was sure there were plenty of others who would feel the same way. They needed proof, and fast. “We need the backup files for the Trakis One. Not only the crew information but also the shuttle movements. If we go to Pryce and the captain without evidence, they’ll likely lock us up.”
There was something else hovering at the back of his mind, something Layla had told him, but he couldn’t remember what. Then a loud ringing filled the room. Logan shook his head and glanced across to where Callum stood in the center of the bridge.
The ringing stopped, and he raised his hands. “I have an announcement to make,” he said, his voice coming over the comm unit and filling the room. “The day is finally here that we’ve all been waiting for.” He paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. “We have received confirmation that we are approaching a system that appears to have everything required to support human life. Ladies and gentlemen, let me show you the Trakis System.” The lights went out, and the screens around the room lit up. At first, Logan could make out nothing, just the vastness of space, darkness lit up by pinpricks of starlight. But all the screens were zooming in on one particular patch of space.
Shapes were taking form. Two suns close together, and around them orbited a number of planets.
Katia’s hand slipped into his, and he squeezed her fingers. He was finding it hard to take in. He’d sort of accepted that the end was coming, that they had no real future, and now it lay before him.
A new home.
This changed everything. Katia appeared as dazed as he was.
Something red hovered on the edge of the system. A third star? As they closed in, he could make out a gaping hole of blackness surrounded by orange and red flames. It didn’t look very inviting. “What the fuck is that?”
“Well, every Eden has its serpent,” Callum said from beside him. “That’s a black hole, according to the analysis, but it apparently only affects one of the planets. We should be able to land on the others. Just tell me one thing…”
Logan dragged his attention from the screens to look at the captain. “What’s that?”
“That no one is going to blow up my ship before I get there.”
He searched the room for Layla, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Wish I could, captain. Maybe you should pray.”
“I prefer to rely on other methods.”
He wasn’t alone there. They needed to catch their murderer, and maybe what was left of the fleet could reach safety. The future of mankind was in their hands.
He almost laughed.
“How long until we reach the system?” Katia asked.
“Forty-eight hours.”
Two days and they would be home.
If they didn’t blow up first.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Katia paced the small space. Backward and forward, round and round.
The party had ended hours ago, but they’d been stuck in the freaking docking bay of the Trakis Seven for most of that time while the engineers sorted out some malfunction with the airlock. Now they were on their way back to the Trakis One.
Layla was not on the shuttle with them. Katia wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Presumably she’d gotten a lift back with Pryce.
Could she be the murderer? Sweet, nice Layla? Except the nice thing seemed to be slipping. Had it all been an act?
If not, why hadn’t she mentioned she had family on the Trakis Three? It was such a huge deal for them to get this far and then… It must be even more heartbreaking with a new home on the horizon. While Katia had never contemplated children, hadn’t believed they were an option for her, she could see how devastating it must be to lose them.
She certainly wouldn’t have felt like going to a party. But Logan was right. They needed evidence.
If it was Layla, she’d tried to kill them three times already. She’d almost died herself in one of those attempts. Or had she? Maybe she’d timed it just right. Anyway, she was clearly not stable.
The thought made sweat break out on her skin, and she tugged at the silk of her dress.
Why hadn’t she brought something to change into? Because she’d thought they would be heading back to the Trakis Two and it hadn’t occurred to her. Now she was stuck in this stupid dress. At least she’d managed to retrieve her panties from Logan’s pocket and they were back where they belonged.
Logan leaned against the wall of the shuttle, hands in his pockets, a frown between his eyes. Was he thinking of her or the case?
