a puzzle. Undeterred, he leaned forward when I ignored him, almost as if he was going to…
“Did you just sniff me?” I blurted, leaning back. Our gazes locked, and I felt like a deer in the headlights. I should get up and run, run, run. So why did I freeze in place, almost eager to see what he would do next? I felt like I was dancing with a cobra, and the risk was intoxicating.
“I don’t usually need to talk with a female to entice her into my bed.” His eyes were pale green, a few shades lighter than mine; my mother always said I had emerald eyes. But his were intense, almost mesmerizing and completely focused on me.
“Yeah, you might be better off with less talking.”
He grinned as if I amused him, and his gaze roved over my face, to my lips, then my hair, which he stroked. Involuntarily, I tilted my head into the heated touch. His hand was so big, reminding me of our size difference. I was tall but he was a head taller, if not more. And he was big. No doubt, everywhere. His hand slid down, over my shoulder and lower, to my hand, which he lifted between us. “You are from Earth.”
“Yes,” I confirmed, although his remark hadn’t really been a question. “Never seen an earthling before?” The question dripped sarcasm, but if anything, his smile widened.
“Only one.” He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask. I didn’t care who he knew or didn’t know. Not. My. Business. Besides, if it was a woman, I’d just want to claw her eyes out as well, which was just stupid. What he did and who he did it with was none of my business. Better to leave that one alone.
“Why do I smell blood?” He sniffed again, his brows drew together and any bit of playfulness was gone.
I shrugged. Sure, I’d showered and even changed into a fresh uniform, but none of my team had gone to medical to get our bumps and bruises taken care of. As usual, we’d made it back, washed the grime of death away and headed straight for the bar. We were used to losing people, but losing Henry was extra hard. He’d been a practical joker, the comedian and prankster who’d gotten away with murder and made life on this remote station almost fun. Every human on the station had heard of his death by now. Heard, and was heading here to drown their sorrows. In a couple hours, this place would be packed.
Maybe I should have another shot of whiskey. The raucous singing and toasting would go on for hours. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I could feel the headache coming on already.
Sexy alien’s eyes narrowed when he saw my hand—the one he wasn’t holding—dark green bandage still in place. “You are hurt.”
He switched his grip to the injured one, and I felt small in his hold. The touch was personal, intimate, and made me seem somehow precious. Fussed over. And I found myself hungry for that connection. He was taking liberties, keeping my hand in his as if I belonged to him. He unwound the narrow bandage.
“It’s nothing. Really.” A small cut on my palm from a piece of ripped metal. I’d had worse while working. Much worse.
He turned my hand palm up, cupped it in one of his and his fingers brushed gently over the gash. It had stopped bleeding before I transported back to Zenith. A scratch. I welcomed the stinging pain. Sometimes, pain was the only way I knew I was still alive. I’d taken a few extra minutes after we transported back, made sure Henry’s body got to the morgue and joined my team.
Over hunk’s shoulder, I saw our second-in-command, Rovo, watching me. He was with the others, but the look he was giving us gave me pause. He shifted his worried eyes—totally normal expression for Rovo where I was concerned—from me and glared at my companion’s back. Hottie must have noticed my distraction and glanced Rovo’s way. Their gazes locked for a split second, some kind of alpha male thing going on I didn’t understand. But I wasn’t worried. I was safe. My entire team was here, sitting along the wall, watching my back, talking trash and unwinding from that shithole, desolate planet we’d just come from.
Fighting over dead planets. While it seemed ridiculous, it made sense. No one wanted a Hive base in this solar system. Hell, this galaxy. So, the Coalition troops fought over dirt. Position. To keep the Hive away.
Space? Earth? Some things didn’t change, not when it came to good versus evil. War.
He turned back around, Rovo forgotten. He still held my hand. This was so not what I’d expected when I’d made my trip to the bar for a drink. I was supposed to be back with my teammates on the other side of the room, but no. I hadn’t moved since he’d invaded my personal space. I hadn’t wanted to. Even the cheesy one-liner didn’t sway me.
This guy? Holy shit. I wanted to do whatever he wanted. Whatever he said. Right now.
Why? Because I had no doubt he was good. Very, very good. And while I was out here in Sector 437, also known as of the outer quadrant of nowhere, my vagina was becoming as dried up as a Trion desert from neglect. A little male attention felt good.
Especially from one who looked like him. Who stared at me as if he wanted to gobble me right up. Or toss me over his shoulder and lay me down on the nearest horizontal surface—or maybe he’d go for vertical. A wall would do for a quick fix. Hot and hard and rough. A little dangerous? Maybe.
But then, that’s what I craved. Something with an edge. Something to make me quiver and gasp and need. I didn’t want to think right now.
I wanted to feel.
2
Harper
His touch was like a drug, the tingle running through my body all too familiar. Adrenaline junkie? I never denied it. But my fix the past two years usually came from going out on rescue-and-recovery missions for the Interstellar Coalition. More than two hundred and fifty worlds, all with civilizations. Oceans. Storms. Accidents. On Earth, I’d worked as an ER nurse. I’d seen everything from gunshot wounds to decapitations. When the aliens showed up demanding fighters and brides for the Coalition that Earth was now a part of, I was compelled to volunteer. But not as a bride. Forget that. I was no alien brood mare. And I wasn’t going to be shooting any kind of gun. I wasn’t a fighter; I was a healer. I wanted to have an adventure without domineering mates or fierce battles. To finally see what was out there, in space, on other worlds. Beam me up, Scotty.
So I volunteered, told them what I wanted and ended up assigned to this bizarre, alien version of a first responder, paramedic team. The war with the Hive was never ending. Literally. These alien races had been at war with the Hive for centuries. But that didn’t mean they never had emergencies. Natural disasters. Surprise attacks. We went in after every battle in this sector of the galaxy and triaged the wounded, helped them survive the aftermath.
Ran from the Hive.
Whatever. It was dangerous, but it made me feel like I was doing something important. Something that mattered and I didn’t need to shoot anyone. My team was human, and we followed the human combat units around the Coalition like cheerleaders assigned to a football team. They fought and we went in after. We hung on to the back end of the Battlegroup Karter like leeches. When the commanders moved on, we stayed long enough to clean up the mess. Assuming the Coalition won. If they lost, there was nothing left to save.
The Hive didn’t leave raw material behind, and to them, my human brothers and sisters, hell, every single Coalition warrior out there
