Pirates of the Dark Nebula (Hearts in Orbit Book 2) Read online

  Handy little fellow to have around.

  Yeah, Phoebe ended up with two wonderful kids and big, hunky Rigel Antares, while Luna just had her work . . . and Harvey.

  Now, if Harvey could develop a sexy voice, like Rik . . . gods, she didn’t even know the man’s last name. But, yeah, maybe she could have Harvey record some of those sultry, sexy tones. Once back in the coreworlds, she’d spring for the voice modulation unit and upload those deep golden tones into it.

  Gods, if Harvey could speak like that, all he’d be missing was . . .

  “Seriously, I need a man in my life.”

  “I have often thought so, Miss Callista. At the very least, a male companion.”

  See, he wouldn’t even be the jealous type.

  Vanessa Halley, one of the lab assistants she knew, had actually gotten that hydraulic phallus attachment for her service droid. Ghagh! Sex with a robot? And with Harvey? It’d be like having sex with her brother. Blech!

  “I will never be that desperate.” But, a hollow emptiness churned inside, a yearning for something more in her life. A guy like Rik would fit that bill.

  Holy hell. How desperate am I? I don’t know the first thing about him.

  A rolling rattle and the heavy tramp of boots on the entry ramp outside invaded her reverie.

  “Hide,” she whispered to Harvey, then ducked down behind an equipment bank. Drawing her blaster, she peeked around the edge.

  A wheeled, wooden box, a meter square, appeared in the doorway. Its axels squeaked as it rolled.

  “Don’t shoot, it’s me.” Those sexy golden tones sent a lustful wave crashing through her core. Yeah, I’ve got to get Harvey to record me some of that.

  She stood, holstering her blaster. “Hi.” Her mouth went suddenly dry as the masculine scent of vallenoak and ginger invaded her senses.

  “Time to go.” Rik’s voice took on a commanding tone as he pulled the top off the wheeled wooden crate. “Droid, get in. You’re going for a ride.”

  As they left the Port Hubble space dock, scents of human sweat, spilled alcohol, and rotten food assailed her senses. Luna edged closer to Rik as they elbowed their way through what looked to be a marketplace. Sellers hawked their wares in open-air booths and gaudily dressed people crowded the street.

  I do blend in here.

  Rik pushed the battered wooden cart containing Harvey at as quick a pace as the teeming mass of people around them allowed.

  “If anyone asks, you’re my new girlfriend, from Archos B.” Rik’s voice was just above a whisper, and Luna had to strain to hear him, but she hung on every word. “We met at Astron’s Wolfbeat. It’s a spacer bar near Volarian Station.”

  A spacer bar? What kind of man had she fallen in with? “You go there often?”

  A mischievous smile played at the corners of his sexy mouth. “Only to pick up cheap women.”

  “I am not a cheap woman.” She playfully slapped his shoulder. Gods, but I probably look like one.

  Rik chuckled, a cocky grin curved his lips. “Don’t I know it.”

  His eyes widened, the humor draining from his face. “Shit. Kiss me.”

  “What?” Not that the concept was in any way repugnant.

  He reached for her, wrapping his large hands firmly around her waist, then turned to press her back against the wooden cart. As his lips descended, he whispered, “Kiss me like you mean it.”

  The moment his mouth came in contact with hers, her knees weakened. Plunder. Perhaps the word sprung to mind because of its association with pirates, but it so aptly described how Rik’s lips claimed hers. Deep, intense, sensual. Her core clenched in response.

  . . . like you mean it. Well, okay, then. Why not enjoy the moment?

  Luna threw herself into the kiss. Opening to accept what he offered.

  His response was electric. His evident arousal surged against her belly. A groan rattled in his chest as he gathered her closer. His lips took and took. Gave and gave.

  Luna’s head spun. Heat built into a molten flow in her core. Gods, a man who knows how to kiss.

  How long had it been since she’d been in the arms of a sexy man? A man this sexy? Never.

  “Really? You threw me over for this?” The sneering voice intruded into the bliss like an ice storm on the molten world of Kiros. The cloying scent of Tyberian orchids permeated the air.

  Rik broke off the kiss, the loss of his lips painfully jarring. He drew in a rattling breath, his eyes smoldering with passion as he drew away from her.

  Then a mask fell across his visage. Cold contempt thinned his eyes. “Kristin. I didn’t notice you there.” His sexy voice, while cordial, now dripped with distain. “This is Nard. Nard meet Kristin Devenport.”

  Nard? NARD? Did she look like a Nard? Nard was a name protein farmers gave their favorite lactose cow or brood swine.

  But as Luna’s vision cleared, she confronted an imposing figure.

  Tall, leggy, and drop-dead gorgeous, Kristin Devenport’s long, straight, luxurious ebony hair cascaded from under a wide-brimmed hat down her shoulders to mid-breast. Her ample cleavage was on full display in the low cut, red synthsatin blouse she wore.

  The woman’s scowling brown eyes looked down a bold roman nose as she gave Luna the once over, danger rolling off her in waves.

  Luna’s gut roiled with instant dislike, but fear prickled the back of her neck. Okay, I can be a Nard.

  “Pleased ta meecha, ma’am.” Luna tried to affect a mousy, rim-of-the-galaxy twang in her tone. In her peripheral vision, she saw the corner of Rik’s mouth twitch.

  “Yeah, I’ll just bet you are.” Kristin’s dismissal was just short of insulting. She swung her gaze to Rik. “Are you really going to Zartos and tell him we lost that scientist bitch?”

  “Any reason why I shouldn’t?” Rik’s question was filled with light-hearted confidence.

  A sinister smile spread across Kristin’s face, underscored by the mean light in her eyes. “You’ve never met him, have you?”

  He shrugged. “I’m about to.”

  Kristin laughed boldly as she turned and strutted away from them.

  Rik held his confident stance, but worry lines wrinkled his forehead.

  “What was that all about?” Luna asked.

  Rik shook his head. “Not here.”

  “Hey, Rik.” Barney’s call from across the roadway drew Rik’s attention. The toothless old pirate sat on the porch of his ramshackle hut. His lust-filled gaze landed on Luna. “Another new one? Might want to think about keeping this one, for a while. She’s a looker.”

  Heat rose up Rik’s neck as he waved back. He didn’t dare look at Luna for fear of betraying his feelings. “Yeah, Barney. She’s a looker all right. Might have to keep her around a while.”

  In my dreams.

  Sizzling comets, that kiss. Mired in the muck with these pirates for so many years, sweetness like that seemed foreign, exotic, impossible.

  No. Even before coming here . . . I’ve never been kissed like that. His head was still reeling.

  “Hey, Rik. When you’re done with this one, throw her my way.”

  The snide haranguing of his neighbors continued as they made their way toward his apartment. Off-color and right to the point, pirates didn’t hold anything back. His body tightened as the color rose attractively on Luna’s cheeks, but he had to fight the protective instincts that roiled inside. The others had known what to expect, but Luna . . .

  If she lashes back, we’re probably dead. Still, Rik would have loved an excuse to bloody a few of their noses.

  Luna held her tongue until he hustled her through the doorway of his small apartment.

  “You might have to keep me around for a while?” She maintained a light tone, but her eyes reflected deeper
concerns.

  Still, he couldn’t help but smile. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you around for a while, but I doubt that’s the most pressing question on your mind right now. We’re safe enough here. Ask.”

  She paced in the small space allotted for his galley, living area, and office. “You can start with, who are you? Where are we? And what am I doing here?”

  Rik took a deep breath. Time to dive in. “My name is Rik Mazar. I’m an undercover galactic marshal.”

  She paused, cocking her head to study him. “Got a badge to prove that?”

  He lifted one brow, then whispered the word, “Undercover.”

  Her brows arched but she didn’t press, so Rik continued. “We’re in Port Hubble, on Arkos Prime.”

  This place was infamous, and with good cause. He gave her a few seconds to absorb his words. He didn’t miss the fear that flashed across her eyes and fought the strong urge to pull her into his arms and promise her everything would be okay. He didn’t know if he’d be able to keep that promise.

  “A month ago, your colleague Ian von Alderamin was . . . acquired by the Brotherhood.”

  She nodded, then snapped her fingers. “He gave the pirates the tractor beam and cloaking shield prototypes.” She let out an angry breath and lowered her head. Her hands fisted at her sides. “That bastard.”

  Rik shrugged. “Don’t judge him so harshly. He’s been a guest of the Brotherhood of the Dark Nebula for quite a while. They can be very persuasive.”

  Glancing up at him, she folded her arms across her chest, raising her breasts attractively. “So, what do they want with me?”

  “You’re here because the Brotherhood of the Dark Nebula wants something they believe is swimming around in that pretty little head of yours.”

  Her breath hitched. “What something?”

  Rik had to force his eyes off her alluring breasts to meet her gaze. “That’s what I was going to ask you. Rumor has it Doctor Alderamin’s working on something to do with asteroid fields.”

  “The avoidance algorithm.” It wasn’t a question.

  He nodded. “That sounds like what they’re looking for. Can you explain it to me in layman’s terms?”

  Luna turned sideways. As if pulled by gravitational forces, his eyes fell to her shapely ass. His body hardened in response. Fiery faculae! She’s just too damn good-looking. He closed his eyes, forcing his attention to her words.

  “Ian had the control module for the asteroid avoidance system completely designed, and he was working on the interface the last time I met with him. I’m responsible for the programming. The device, when completed, will allow a starship to enter an asteroid field at ion drive speeds and pass though without being struck, avoiding all the chaos in that sector.”

  The implications of what she was telling him caused his mind to spin. Asteroid fields were deadly, unpredictable. No pilot in their right mind entered one, despite what those old sci-fi holovids showed. Galactic marshals used asteroid fields as impenetrable walls in the vastness of space when in pursuit. Even the dumbest criminals knew better than to enter.

  “And you can make a device like that actually work?” If so, the woman was more than just drop-dead gorgeous, she was a certified genius as well. Brains and beauty. Damned sexy. Frack, he was in so much trouble.

  Luna nodded. “I solved the issues with the isolation algorithm last week. Theoretically, at least, my programming in Ian’s device should provide for the proper operation.”

  An incredible crime-fighting tool in the hands of the marshals, an asteroid avoidance device could be a real game-changer if the pirates got their hands on it first. They’d have the run of the galaxy with an easy escape path from any pursuing law enforcement. No wonder the Brotherhood of the Dark Nebula suddenly developed an interest in kidnapping scientists.

  So, how the heck did the Brotherhood find out about these projects?

  It was his turn to ask some questions. “You work at the same lab as Doctor von Alderamin?”

  She nodded.

  Could this woman be the traitor? The thought roiled his gut, but he pressed on. “It was my understanding they locked down that facility after his abduction. No one was allowed to leave.”

  “I’ve been on Blarm, visiting my sister, for the past month and a half. When Ian stopped answering my mailposts, I figured he’d just hit a snag in his design and was ignoring me. He’s like that.”

  A plausible explanation. Still, he’d check it out if he got the opportunity. This system was off Galaxynet, and his outside contact wasn’t due for another week.

  The mobile com unit on his belt buzzed and he checked the status screen. “I’ve got a meeting with a very dangerous man in the morning. We could probably both use some sleep.”

  Luna had begun pacing again, no doubt checking out his small living space. One bedroom . . . one bed. She cocked her head, raising one eyebrow.

  The look made him chuckle. As if.

  Not that I’m not tempted. Very tempted. That incredible mind was wrapped up in one sweet package.

  His cock ached with throbbing interest. It’d been far too long.

  Sure, he had a reputation as a ladies’ man among the pirates, carefully maintained by the string of women he’d brought back to this apartment. But those women were his contacts—galactic marshals he’d pick up once a month at a pre-designated place and brought back here for an exchange of information. On those nights, like this evening, the ladies got the bedroom and he got the couch out here in the small living area.

  Rik hadn’t had a real date since he’d gone undercover three years ago. Celibate as a Barthian monk. How the hell do those guys do it?

  “The bedroom’s yours. I’ll sleep out here. There’s some extra women’s clothing on the right side of the closet. Help yourself to anything that fits.” The feminine clothing in the closet was for those occasions his female contacts stayed on a few days to help him with the mission. “Oh, and the shower takes a while to heat up, so let it run a bit before you step in.”

  The thought of this woman naked in his shower was almost more than his poor, underutilized cock could handle.

  Her eyes widened. “Shower?”

  He chuckled again. “We’re on the galactic rim. Auto-bathing chambers haven’t made it out this far yet. We’re a lot lower tech. That’s why your droid would have stuck out if I’d let it walk with us through the city. You can bring it out in the apartment if you need it, but make sure the shades are drawn.”

  He showed her how to use the shower unit and made sure she had everything she needed, all the time fighting the temptation to touch her, kiss her once again.

  “Thanks,” she said, closing the bedroom door between them, “for everything.” Her smile was genuine, inviting.

  Fiery faculae, how he wanted her.

  Shaking his head, he turned from the closed door. This is so messed up.

  He pulled the extra pillow and blanket from the storage unit and plopped down on the couch. I need to keep my head on the mission and off that gorgeous woman on the other side of that very thin door.

  When she finished, he’d need to take a shower himself. A cold one.

  He might have at least tried.

  Luna lay on the bed, fresh, cool bed linens warming against her body. The shower had been an incredibly soothing experience. I’ve got to get me one of those. The process of lathering on soap with her hands had been stimulating. She’d closed her eyes, envisioning someone else’s suds-slicked hands sliding across her naked flesh.

  One hot galactic marshal maybe?

  Her core clenched just thinking back on it. It made her autobathing chamber back home seem clinical, at best.

  Face it, that man out there is solar hot.

  What would she have done if he’d actually climbed in the shower
with her? It would have been a tight squeeze. Steamy, slick, sudsy. Bodies touching, hands sliding. Her mind conjured up a dozen scenarios, and her body writhed in response.

  I need to stop this.

  From a closet that sported an array of men’s and women’s clothing, she’d chosen a soft, long tailed shirt to sleep in. The women’s clothing certainly hadn’t been sized for him. From the talk she’d picked up on her trek through the city, and the assortment of women’s sundries in the shower room, Luna suspected Rik had a regular stream of women through his apartment.

  I’ll bet he’s good in bed.

  She’d have settled for okay in bed. Cloistered in a lab with old scientists and pimply, late-teen interns, Luna’s opportunity to meet any real men had been almost non-existent. She suspected her father goaded her into this line of work for just that reason. She loved the man, but he did tend toward the over-protective.

  Dad’s probably going nova right about now.

  Well, there wasn’t much she could do about it. There was no way to contact him and tell him she was okay. This back-water planet didn’t even have Galaxynet access.

  And, am I really okay?