The Bond That Ties Us by Christine D'Abo Read Free Book Online

frame wider and he radiated a protective aura. She knew this man was a warrior. Someone she’d definitely want on her side.
    “I ordered you something to eat. Most humans seem to like it. My name is Taber. I work with Ambassador Kamran as the head of Briel security.”
    So this was Taber. It only took a second for her to remember what she’d read on him, her counterpart on the Briel security team. There had been very little information on any of the Briel, but there was a bit more on Taber. He’d been Kamran’s bodyguard for the past twenty Earth years and was well respected by his men. From the look of him he’d seen more than his fair share of battles. The frown lines etched on his face gave him a look she recognized from other security leaders over the years. Too bad her superiors hadn’t thought to include photos of the Briel in the briefing documents. It may even have helped with her Kamran encounter earlier. Or maybe not.
    “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Haylie Bond, the new Chief of Human Security.”
    She offered her hand to shake, but he did not take it, bowing instead.
    “A pleasure, Ms. Bond. I’m sure we will be working closely together in the days to come.”
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    The Briel cook placed a plate of food in front of her and bowed before closing the stall.
    “I hope you enjoy it,” Taber said.
    Haylie couldn’t wait to dig in and sank her teeth into a large red leaf that was stuffed full of vegetables Haylie didn’t recognize. The taste was amazing.
    “Wow.” She managed to say between bites.
    “I’ll leave you to your meal.” A smile tugged at his lips.
    “Thank you. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
    Taber motioned to the other solders who were still standing off to the side and the four men departed.
    Between the food and her encounters with Donaldson and Taber, Haylie had pushed aside her overwhelming desires. Much better. She was back to her old self, calm and in control. Now all she needed was some sort of crime and she’d be in heaven. Her full belly gave her a temporary boost to keep poking around the station some more. She turned to head in the direction of the bars she’d spotted earlier. She made an abrupt stop and sighed when she saw the large crowd that had formed near the entrance. Too many people for her tonight.
    She turned and headed in the opposite direction. She needed a quiet distraction tonight. The observation room was up ahead and she hoped there wouldn’t be any last-minute patrons. Maybe some stargazing would take her mind off her newly acquired obsession. It’s not like trouble would find her sitting all alone looking at the stars.
    As she walked, things began to look a bit odd. The corridors seemed a bit too light.
    The surfaces a bit too smooth. And as she moved away from the market, the rich aroma of the vendors’ stands faded. The lack of odor intensified the institutional feel of the place. Weird, considering the amount of people around her at the moment.
    That wasn’t entirely accurate either. She did smell something. Like before, the barest hint of cinnamon.
    Kamran.
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Chapter Three
    Kamran had spent much of the evening motionless at the desk in his quarters. A human ! If anyone had suggested such a thing to him yesterday, they would have been dismissed as foolish, insane. But all the signs were there. He’d been wild all day, thoughts of her distracting him from his job. Even his body was working against him.
    Daydreaming . He’d actually caught himself daydreaming. She’d been naked in his arms and more than ready for him. His cock sprang to life again at the thought, causing him to groan. The council would remove him from his post if they suspected he was overcome with lust.
    The fact that she appeared to have a similar reaction to him was telling. In the hangar bay she’d looked more than a little affected by his presence. Goddess knows the arousal he’d been battling all day had significantly impacted him. He wasn’t sure who