Lana's Comet (Outer Settlement Agency) by Lyn Brittan Read Free Book Online Page B

her. She saw it written all over his face. Flared nostrils. Eyes, narrow at the corners, but pupils dilated. This man wanted her.
    Lucky for him, she wanted him too. “There’s too much to lose to play each other false. We’re adults.”
    “And?”
    “And I have an empty room these days.”
    Cyprus snorted and a huff of air tickled the tiny hairs on her neck. “We can’t. How do you think I found you, Lana? We’re all chipped. Everything’s recorded. They’ll know if I go to your room.”
    “Of course you did. How else would you investigate Michi’s disappearance?”

Chapter Eight
    ––––––––
    N o one commented on the two of them walking back in. Why would they? This was a busy base with busy people. Having handed over the details of two absent trainees, security would have moved on to other issues.
    At least Cyprus hoped so.
    Her dormitory was quiet, thanks to him and the hours of training he’d shoved their way. Today would have been especially hard. Mental exercises involving replicated loss of families, light torture and noise overstimulation would have left them exhausted.
    That was the plan.
    The real test would be how they handled an unexpected round of the same tomorrow.
    “You’re doing it again,” she said the second the door closed behind them. “Thinking too hard. Your eyes kinda glaze over. Forget OSA for one night. I won’t think about Meash and we won’t entertain thoughts of all the impossible problems we have to solve. That’s an order, soldier.”
    “And tomorrow?”
    “We save the galaxy.”
    Soft lips cut off his chuckle and for a brief moment, he almost believed it’d be that simple. He wallowed in the comfort of that fantasy – her fantasy. It wasn’t a bad place to be. “I’m to follow your orders?”
    “Remove your tunic, Dhoma.”
    And damn him if he didn’t.
    “And your pants.”
    They’d never fallen to the floor faster.
    “Very good. Now, remove my clothes.”
    “Are you testing me, Lana?”
    She didn’t answer and that was fine with him. Testing implied unknown outcomes, but he knew where she’d lead him and he followed her down the path of ruin on eager feet. He’d follow her straight into hell for more of this.
    Her dark shoulders rose and dipped as he removed her top, per her command. Unable to control himself, he dropped kisses along the valley between her shoulder blades and his tongue tasted the salt of her flesh, evidence of their earlier physical exertion.
    Then it all went to shit. His vision blurred and his eyes burned as if staring at a too bright star, but it had nothing to do with her. Not directly. “Damn it.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    At least, that’s what he thought she said, but it was hard to hear past the whirring rovers in his head. His eyes slammed shut against light, suddenly too painful for his retinas to process.
    “I’ve gotta go.”
    “Tell me what’s wrong.” Her hands tugged on his forearms, even as he jerked away. Her grip didn’t lessen – the opposite – she held onto him with a miner’s grasp. “You’re hypersensitive.”
    “I need to get to my room.” He reached blindly for his shirt, but she smacked his hand away.
    “Sit.”
    “I’m not your patient, Lana. I need—”
    “I know what you need.” A shuttle blasted off in his ear, but it was just her, opening and shutting cabinets. “This is a common Kin-Humanoid ailment, although I’ve never seen it come this hard or fast.”
    Coming hard and fast? There was a joke there, but he was in no mood for it. The drilling in his temple made sure of that. He looked down to see his chest reddening and could imagine what his face looked like.
    “There’s no need to be embarrassed,” she said, with a clinical ear against his chest.
    And there it was. Aw, crap. “I’m not. It’s a reaction to...to overheating and—”
    “Uh huh, right. Lay down.”
    “You have a kit?”
    “Even OSA can’t strip me of my credentials. I may be a trainee grunt, but