Chapter Twelve

EMMY

I needed to talk to Ven. I had made a mistake.

My body and mind immediately revolted against the idea that the most incredible moment of my life had been a mistake. I tried to ignore them.

We had made a mistake…that I wanted to make with him again and again.

I tried to gain control over my unruly libido. Things didn’t have to be awkward. We were both adults and could still be friends in spite of the memory of a scorching hot, passionate kiss burning between us.

I didn’t want to think about the kiss, but the memory kept sneaking up on me when I least expected it. I remembered the heat of his mouth and energy shooting through my body. I remembered how hard his chest was and the way he possessed me. I was out of control like never before, and it felt good and right.

Maybe it was just bad timing.

We certainly had different life plans. It didn’t make sense to get involved with anyone right now. I had always lived my life in a methodical, logical way. Ven didn’t fit into the structure.

Right now, I had to talk to him and arrange to get off this damn planet. Preferably without Abel’s men knowing about it. I tiptoed to where he lurked around a corner of the L-shaped room.

“Ven, we need to talk.”

“Shhh.” He put his finger to his lips. “Someone’s coming.”

I looked out of the window and gasped. Abel’s men were outside, and they were approaching the ship.

“I thought you scrambled the tracer signal?” I asked. He shrugged.

“Either their devices are incredibly sensitive, or the scrambler failed. I’m not an electronics genius.”

I heard the sound of voices moving to the outside door. A door opened, and someone entered the ship.

“Do we have any options?” I asked, not particularly eager to hear the answer.

“We can hide. If they find us, we shoot them. If they don’t find us and they leave, then we can get out of here.”

“And get me a ticket off this planet,” I added.

He sighed but didn’t say anything as he walked over to a large closet.

“We can discuss it once we’re out of this situation.” He opened the door to the closet, which looked small and uninviting when I imagined stuffing my body inside. “Get in.”

VEN

I should have thought of a better place to conceal ourselves. Instead of being able to sneak off the shuttlecraft and take Emmy home to discuss her future, we were stuck hiding together in a closet.

Whenever I inhaled, my lungs filled with her scent. The fragrance seemed delicious and unrecognizable. It was probably an aroma from Earth. Underneath the initial odor, I detected the smell of her arousal. I didn’t need another distraction. I stopped breathing as much as possible and tried to focus on something else, but Emmy was the only thing around.

We had squeezed into the closet and faced each other with only six inches of air separating us. It was way too close, especially considering that we had recently decided to stop touching each other.

It didn’t matter what I said. Imagining her body next to me and her intoxicating scent was making my cock ache. The only thing I wanted to do was strip her and fuck her, right here.

I needed to keep my mind thinking about anything except what I wanted to do to her. For a few more minutes, at least. Once I had some distance, I would feel differently. Being stuck in close quarters with her was maddening.

Emmy took a deep breath. I watched her cleavage rise and fall in the dim light. I stared at her breasts, entranced by the sight. I wondered what she would look like when I made her come. And whether she would make a noise in her throat again if I kissed her.

We could talk, I supposed. That would take my mind off Emmy and what I wanted to do with her.

I hoped.

“Em, let me make sure I’ve got this straight.” She looked up at me, her eyes a little unfocused as if she were returning from somewhere far away. I hadn’t meant to use the diminutive form of her name. It slipped out but somehow it felt right. “You are bound and determined to get a ladle for your friend and colleague, Morley.”

“Zelia's ladle. I promised him before he died.”

“After you get this artifact, you’re not going to make soup with it. You’re going to give it to the authorities so they can use it for everyone’s benefit, but Abel’s men will be chasing you every step of the way.”

Her eyes shifted away from mine.

“Not every step. I’ve been able to take care of myself until now. If I can get a head start, I’ll be fine.”

“Won’t they guess you’re going to retrieve the ladle?”

“As long as I can get there before them, everything will work out.”

I stared at her. “It will all work out? You’re being extremely optimistic.”

She shrugged one shoulder, making her breasts jiggle in her tiny sports bra, drawing my attention back to a place I was trying to stop thinking about.

“It’s worked for me so far.” She looked sullen.

“Let me come with you.” The words came out of my mouth before I could think. She opened her mouth to protest, and I felt like complaining myself. I had taken bodyguard assignments in the military before, and I was excellent at it. But this task would be different. For one thing, there would be no backup.

I started to justify myself instead of backing down. “We will be together. If anyone investigates the validity of our marriage, they’ll see we have been hanging out the whole time.” It was true. We didn’t have to stay with each other on my planet. She stared at me, shaking her head. On impulse, I added, “We’ll tell people we’re on our honeymoon.”

Even though it might not be the smartest decision, I didn’t want to let Emmy go. I knew I might never see her again. An uncertain future stretched in front of her. She didn’t realize how quickly people could have their lives ended. But I did. I had seen plenty of death.

I didn’t want Emmy to die. I wanted her to live so I could get to know more about her. She was a puzzle I needed to solve. I wasn’t going to have a chance if she were light-years away from me.

Besides, I didn’t feel like going home just to sit in my big empty house again. The prospect of adventure called to me just as much as Emmy did. Hadn’t I been saying I was bored with my life? I didn’t want to lose all the money I inherited and the lifestyle that went with it, of course. But I also wanted something more than merely spending it.

“I can’t let you do that,” she said.

I was surprised at how disappointed I felt.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come.”

“Well, what is it, then?” I folded my arms across my chest.

“I don’t want you to risk your life on something dangerous. It’s my life’s work, but it’s not yours. Go back to your house and your money. That’s your specialty and what you want, remember? You wanted it so much you were willing to marry a stranger who’s not your type.”

When she put it like that, I seem like an asshole. I started getting annoyed that she was pointing out what I already knew about myself but didn’t want to acknowledge. She was already challenging me and my self-image. It was bothersome that she remembered a stupid comment I made about her not being my type.

I had wanted some things before, but now things were different.

“I don’t know who you think I am, but you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle whatever is coming our way on your impossible mission.”

EMMY

“Excuse me?” I asked. “These guys aren’t archeologists. They’re treasure hunters. More like upscale criminals. They don’t play by the same rules I do. They mean business and I don’t think you knows what that means.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Emmy.”

“Could you explain yourself?” I said, feeling frustrated. How could this man make me feel so many emotions in the space of a few minutes?

The sounds of people bumping around were getting louder, but nobody had come into the cargo hold yet.

“I’m ex-military.”

“Oh.” That explained the shot on the car to destroy their batteries. I wondered if he was the sexy kind of ex-military, or an accountant or a chef. I didn’t want to ask.

“I could help you. I could make sure those guys don’t interfere with getting Zelia’s ladle.”

I felt myself wavering. The task would be less daunting if I had a partner.

But was that selfish? Just because something was hard to do alone didn’t mean I should automatically accept Ven’s help, no matter how trained he was.

I shook my head, my chest beginning to choke with regret.

“I’m sorry, Ven. It’s not your problem. I couldn’t possibly accept your help.”

“Maybe your problem is that you try to do everything yourself.” His eyes looked like black pools in the semi-darkness.

I froze. He had no right to call me out on something like that. He wasn’t my friend, and he was barely my husband. Although…

He was probably correct.

Even so, he couldn’t come with me. “It’s not going to happen, Ven. I promise I’ll return after I get the ladle. I’ll be your wife for a year so you can keep your money.”

“What if you don’t come back because you can’t?” He had a thoughtful look on his face. I felt a stab of fear. Could I die out there?

“Then you won’t have to fake my death because I’ll actually be dead. I’ll send proof that I’m on an assignment for work. You won’t have any trouble with people thinking I left you.”

He was shaking his head and about to say something else when the spaceship started moving.

Ven went to the small port window and looked out. “It sounds like we’re taking off.”

“Into space? We’re going to die together, I guess.” I tasted fear for what seemed like the hundredth time today.

“Strap in.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a seat. “We’re leaving.”

“Don’t we need to know where we’re going first?”

“I have no idea. If you don’t want to be a pancake when we get there, fasten your restraints.”

At least I was getting away from Stalwart.