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TALIA FELT TRAPPED aboard the hunters’ shuttle. Ross, Corran and Lexa had left over an hour ago to secure the land transport while the rest of them remained behind. Prior to their departure, Gedrin had voiced his opinion, making it clear that he still didn’t trust Lexa or her to go anywhere without them.
He was afraid they might double-cross the hunters, then take off after Tremaine on their own. Dolok suggested one of them, namely her, remain on the vessel. She wondered if he did it to appease Gedrin’s grumblings or to keep her close. Either way, it pissed her off. She had time to kill and wanted to release some of her pent-up frustration.
Once they found Tremaine, they’d go their separate ways. On that day, she’d cheer that she never had to see any of them again. Or would she? Surprisingly, she thought her sentiment applied to Gedrin, but it didn’t readily apply to Dolok.
Even though he’d originally assumed she was a scavenger, he’d kept his word and didn’t treat her the way Gedrin did. Since they’d negotiated their terms, he’d been nothing but supportive—and possessively protective. Something she refused to analyze. She’d known him for only a couple of days, had gotten used to his presence and enjoyed his company. She knew she’d miss him and didn’t want to think about what her life was going to be like when she couldn’t spend time with him.
It was too bad they had to leave Rex back on her ship; otherwise, she’d be enjoying one of his wonderful neck massages. Rex might be an android, but his advanced programing made him seem human.
The hunter’s shuttle was a smaller version of their ship, complete with enough quarters to accommodate a crew of ten. It also had a workout room Talia decided to use to her advantage. She hadn’t been happy when Dolok had informed her that they would be traveling on his ship back to the colony, but she was glad she’d had the foresight to pack her workout bra and shorts.
She hadn’t seen Gedrin or Dolok since the others left and appreciated having some time alone. After slipping into the room, she toed off her shoes and stepped barefoot onto the gray mat covering half the metal floor. She spent the next twenty minutes doing some stretching exercises, then headed for a weight bag hanging from an anchor in the ceiling.
Luckily, pressing her palm to the panel in the adjacent wall hadn’t prevented her from accessing the internal compartment used to store supplies. She sifted through the contents until she found a sealant gel, then coated all her knuckles.
The gel protected her skin, but it didn’t prevent the jarring pain that radiated from her hands to her elbows every time she hit the bag. Talia welcomed the burning ache. Every time she connected with the hard surface, more tension eased from her body.
“Do you have someone specific in mind, or are you angry at the bag?” Dolok’s deep voice startled her.
Talia stopped midpunch, stepping away from the bag to face him, and found him grinning at her. She’d been so preoccupied, she hadn’t heard him enter the room. “I wouldn’t have a problem taking a swing or two at Gedrin.” She thought about the asshole hunter who’d done nothing but give her grief since he’d arrived. An image of him landing on his ass on the floor flitted through her mind, and she smiled.
Dolok must have guessed what she’d been thinking, because he chuckled. “It is understandable. We have been friends a long time, and there have been many times when he has tested my patience.”
He bent down to remove his boots and socks, then reached for the hem of his shirt. “Do you mind if I...”
“No, it’s fine.” She realized she was staring at the toned muscles on his broad chest and quickly snapped her attention back to his face. Once he tugged the fabric over his head, her gaze wandered to the unique markings running from his shoulder and down his left side. His black pants were made of a thin material that stretched across his hips, clung to his thick thighs.
When Dolok’s shirt hit the floor, she raised her gaze, noticed his quirked brow, and realized she’d been caught staring. Damn. She walked to the other side of the room, grabbed a clean towel from the autodispenser, and wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck.
“Perhaps we can burn off some of your irritation together,” Dolok said.
She thought he was talking about sex. “What...no.” It didn’t help that her own arousal was headed to the soon-to-be-out-of-control level. She couldn’t deny she’d been fantasizing about what it would be like to spend time naked with him from the moment she’d taken him onboard the Inferno. Circumstances being what they were, dreaming about it was one thing, but actually letting it happen was another.
Talia had a strict rule about keeping her personal life, what little there was of it, separate from her working one. She had to remind herself that being on this mission with the hunters was no different from any other job. She could admire the gorgeous male, get all hot and bothered, but acting on the attraction wasn’t going to happen. Ever.
“Talia, I was talking about sparring.” He grinned, amusement sparkling in his eyes.
She bit back a groan. Tarrons weren’t psychic, were they? It was the second time in a matter of minutes he’d guessed what she’d been contemplating.
“I assume you are skilled in hand-to-hand combat.” Dolok tipped his head toward the large mat spread out on the opposite side of the room.
“I am, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if we...” No way is it a smart move. Thinking about having her hands on his body, even in a defensive manner, had a wave of heat skimming across her skin and had her reaching for a cylinder of water.
“Why?” He moved closer, invading her personal space, his musky male scent teasing her senses. “Are you afraid?”
Yes. “No.” She squeezed the drink with both hands, needing a place to put them so she wouldn’t be tempted to touch his chest. “Maybe you should go ask Gedrin. He seems pretty uptight and could use a workout.”
“You make a much prettier partner than Gedrin.” He tugged on the end of one of her braids. “Spar with me.”
Talia couldn’t resist his smile or the underlying dare in his deep, husky tone. “Fine.” She snorted. “I appreciate the compliment, but don’t think it’s going to stop me from kicking your ass.”
He took her hand and led her toward the mat, his green gaze flaring with a mischievous glint. “We shall see.”
#
“NOT BAD.” DOLOK WINCED and remained on his back, trying to regain some of the air he’d lost from his lungs. Though his pride had taken a beating when Talia managed to knock his feet out from under him, he had to admit he was impressed with her determination and techniques. They’d been sparring for over an hour, and during that time, she bested him three times. Even the younger, stronger males on Tarron had struggled to get the better of Dolok.
“You mean for a female or for a scavenger?” Talia held out her hand to help him off the mat.
The grin she displayed with the teasing words didn’t disguise the momentary flicker of hurt he saw in her eyes. The thoughtless comment he’d made earlier had formed a wedge between them. A wedge he would do anything to remove. The uneasiness between them was unacceptable, and he regretted ever having made the comment.
Instead of letting her assist him to his feet, he yanked hard, pulling her on top of him. She gasped and tried to push off him. Before she could get away, he rolled them over and pinned her to the mat with his hips wedged between her spread legs. He braced on his elbows, making sure her arms stayed tucked beneath him with her palms pressed against his chest.
“Sneaky move,” she muttered, digging her heels into the mat and bucking against him. The movement rubbed against his shaft, causing it to harden. She must have realized what her actions were doing and quickly stopped her efforts. “Um, we should probably go check and see if everyone is back.”
“Gedrin will notify us when they return.” After all the sparring they’d done, Dolok knew she’d had excellent training, that if she wanted him off her, she had the ability to remove him or at least cause him pain trying.
“Are we going to continue our workout?” Talia bit her lower lip and grinned. “Or did you pin me down because you wanted to talk?”
He found her reference to their time in the holding cell humorous. “I wish to talk, and as you have pointed out, I am aware we can have a conversation while standing.” His body thrummed with the need to claim her, but he had no intention of taking her here on the floor. It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy their closeness as long as possible. “This is more...preferable.”
“I see. So what did you want to talk about?”
“I would like to offer my apology for the comment I made and for my earlier assumptions. It was an emotional reaction to the situation, not what I truly think of you.” He felt her tense beneath him and rushed to finish. “I do not believe that what you do for a living is who you are.”
“How can you be so sure? You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know from experience that a true scavenger only cares about money. They would not willingly risk their own life to protect family...or an android. Nor would they have negotiated with a hunter to be included in this mission. The majority of them would have taken Ross’s offer, let us do the work, then collected the money.” He tucked a loose strand behind her ear. “And most assuredly, none of them would have seen to my welfare.”
He held her gaze, rubbing her jaw tenderly with the pad of his thumb. “What I have not figured out is why you are so determined to go after Tremaine.”
“I...it’s...” Talia sounded as if she were going to argue, but Dolok didn’t give her a chance to finish. He brushed his lips over hers, his kiss gentle and teasing. With a swipe of his tongue, she whimpered and granted him access to her mouth. He plunged deeper, tasting her sweetness, staking a claim. He shifted his hip, rubbing against her core, and eliciting a soft moan.
Wrapped in the euphoria of finally having his mate beneath him, feeling her body’s reaction and hearing her responses to his touch, made it hard to concentrate. It took longer than it should have for his mind to register the sound of boots hitting metal in the outside passageway.
“She’s probably working out.” Lexa’s voice drifted into the room, announcing the other’s return.
Dolok had hoped they would be gone most of the day and growled at the interruption. He glanced at the open entryway, wishing he’d had the foresight to engage the door and the locks before they’d started sparring. He rolled to the side, quickly getting to his feet and pulling Talia along with him.
Lexa was the first one into the room, followed by Corran and Ross. “Told you.” She glanced over her shoulder at the males. Corran directed his gaze to Dolok’s hand still clutching Talia’s, a wide, knowing grin slowly forming on his lips. Thankfully, their interruption had calmed Dolok’s desires, along with the hardened state of his shaft.
“What have you two been up to while we were gone?” Dolok didn’t miss the teasing insinuation beneath Lexa’s innocently asked question.
“Working out.” Talia pulled away from Dolok and reached for the half-empty water cylinder she’d set on the floor earlier. After taking a long swallow, she asked, “How did it go? Did you get everything we’ll need?”
Though it irritated him immensely, Dolok wasn’t surprised when she responded to Lexa with her all-business attitude and acted as if nothing had happened between them.
“Paul, the guy who sold us the transport, was more than helpful.” Lexa glanced between Talia and him. “If you’ve got time now, we can show you what we have and decide what essentials need to be transferred from the ship.”
“Sounds great, but I’d like to take a shower first and change into something clean.” Talia walked across the room and slipped on her shoes.
“Great, we’ll meet you in the gathering area in about twenty minutes.” Lexa turned to follow Corran and Ross from the room. She paused in the doorway, turned sideways, and smirked. “Unless you need a little longer.” She ducked into the corridor, barely dodging Talia’s cylinder as it sailed past her head and slammed into the opposite wall. Lexa peeked around the corner. “I take it that’s a no.”
“Lexa, go,” Talia ordered, then groaned when her sister’s laughter echoed over her departing footsteps.
Dolok bent to retrieve his shirt, tugging it over his head, then walked up behind Talia. He placed his hand on her hip, lingering as he leaned closer and breathed against the back of her neck. “We will finish our discussion later.”
