On a Rogue Planet by Anna Hackett Read Free Book Online Page A

you a hug.”
    His arms came around her and slowly, his muscles relaxed one by one. “I remember.”
    She pressed her cheek against his chest. Bare chest. Really nice-smelling male chest.
    One of his hands trailed down her spine, hesitant at first, then more confident. “You’re safe now.” His hand traveled back up until he gripped the nape of her neck. “It was my fault you were endangered.”
    She sighed and relaxed against Xander. “Not your fault. Who are these mercs?”
    “It’s a story I should tell the others as well.”
    She rubbed her cheek against his warm skin. Under her face, she heard the thud of his heart. Strong and not as steady as she would have thought.
    She pulled back. It was hard to tell with his dark skin, but she thought she noticed a tint of color in his cheeks. “Xander…you said you don’t feel emotion. But you are now, aren’t you?” Or was it just her wishful thinking?
    “I’m not supposed to.” He cupped her face. “I’m…much more enhanced than regular CenSecs.”
    As if magnetically drawn, they leaned in closer to each other. Mal felt the blood hammering through her veins. This was crazy. Really, really crazy.
    His thumb brushed her jaw. Oh, stars. She’d spent so long trying to find the perfect man, her perfect match. Tarr, the starship pilot; Ben, the starship mechanic from the Souk spaceport; Aston, the salvage dealer.
    Xander Saros was about as wrong as she could get. A cyborg, for star’s sake.
    “Malin.” A quiet murmur, his fingers brushing over her skin, like he was mesmerized by the way she felt. “I remember you also promised me a kiss.”
    Her stomach knotted. “I did, didn’t I?”
    His head lowered, and she arched up to meet him.
    The medbay door slammed open.
    Mal jerked her head up and saw Lala waltz in sporting purple jeans and an orange T-shirt that said “Burn, baby, burn” on the front of it.
    “Yo, Mal—” When she spotted Xander, she skidded to a stop. “Holy shit, he looks mighty fine but Dathan told me he is daaaangerous!”
    “Take it easy, Lala. He’s not going to hurt anybody.” As Xander let Mal go and pulled away from her, she stifled a disappointed sigh.
    “I looked CenSecs up on the computer. Saw them in action.” Lala pulled something from the pocket of her jeans. A small blue ball. Her tone changed, turned much more grown-up. “Dangerous is just the beginning.”
    Xander tensed. “Explosive.”
    Mal gripped his arm, feeling the smoothness of the artificial skin. “It’s okay. She won’t hurt anyone either. Lala, put it away. Now.”
    Lala pouted. “But I haven’t blown anything up for ages.”
    “You blew up the Bandoo freighter I had outside ready for salvage. The day before I left on my trip.”
    “I thought it was junk.” The girl fingered the ball and heaved a giant sigh. “And I said I was sorry.”
    Mal ensured her smile stayed hidden. “Put it away.”
    Lala flopped onto a stool. “Fine. But that was last week. Ages ago.” She slipped the ball away.
    Mal turned to Xander. “Just ignore her.”
    His face was blank but the hard edge said he hadn’t forgotten the explosive ball. Why—when everyone else wanted to run screaming at the sight of him—did she find him so…fascinating?
    “Are you another Phoenix cousin?” he asked Lala.
    “Nope.”
    “She’s…Lala.” Mal wasn’t sure how to describe the teenaged bomb expert they’d somehow inherited after Zayn and Ria needed her help on a mission to free Ria from the Assassin’s Guild.
    “Lastite Lala,” the girl added cheerfully.
    Xander stiffened. “Lastite Lala. Criminal explosives expert named after the volatile explosive lastite. Responsible for several hundred explosions in the surrounding quadrants.”
    Lala grinned. “Your records only list several hundred? Damn, I’m not getting all the badass credit I deserve.”
    Xander turned away from Lala, his body stiff. “I need to talk with your cousins.”
    With a nod, Mal moved to the comms