Alarmed by the finality in Alexia’s tone, Rick stood and grabbed her wrist. “Hey, are you upset?”
“Don’t be silly.” She stepped closer and admitted, “You gave me the Titans and a beautiful memory of my mother. What more could a girl want?”
“I shouldn’t have said what I said. About the flirting.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it isn’t. We both know what was happening, and it didn’t have a damned thing to do with bio-girls or re-wiring.”
“Thanks.” A smile flitted across her face. “You were smart to mention TJ though. Because that’s the point. Right?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “That’s the point.”
She touched his cheek. “I couldn’t help myself. It was just so much fun. Flirting with you for the sheer joy of it. Ever since Trent disappeared, my whole life has centered around an agenda, so just goofing around felt—well, freeing, I guess.”
“Do you have an agenda with TJ?”
“Absolutely. The same one I had with my geek lovers. Helping me find Trent. You can’t imagine—” She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, it’s been the worst sex life in human history.”
Rick chuckled. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”
“Really? I told you about George Rendem-Sayers. But there’s more. One geek was super rich—had his own island observatory and everything. He had some provocative theories about Trent, and I was hungry for anyone who agreed with me at that point. Plus, he was so much like Dad—a mathematician who only learned astronomy and physics because of the cool equations. So I spent a week with him, and it was fun—his observatory was amazing—but his physics knowledge wasn’t much better than mine, so it was a bust.”
Rick scowled. “A mathematician with an island observatory? In other words, Lorenzo Nolo? You slept with him?”
“Just for one week. And he was so sweet. But like I said, he just didn’t have what I needed.”
“Charming,” Rick muttered.
“You’re kind of a geek yourself, right?” she said teasingly. “You built Sensie, so you must have majored in computers—”
“Nope. That came earlier.” He took a deep breath, surprised to be sharing this part of his life. “There was a time when my father home-schooled me. He wanted to learn something new himself, so he took computer science courses on the freescape while I did my schoolwork. But since I idolized him, I followed along with his stuff too. Years later, after the explosion, when I got the idea of coming here, I took some refresher courses and it all congealed. I could handle the basics, and Sensie helped with the rest.” Wincing, he added, “In answer to your question, I focused on military history and strategy at the Point. Not science or computers.”
“Speaking of the point…” She touched his cheek. “You came through the sinkhole to avoid relationships. And I need to hook up with TJ and get access to the Sea-Mont Prototype. So I shouldn’t have teased you in the shower the way I did.”
He wanted to tell her it had been fun for him too, but wouldn’t that just confuse things again? So he said simply, “Let’s hope you’re right. That you and TJ will turn out to be perfect for each other.”
“We will.” She bit her lip. “Can I kiss you goodbye? Or will you just give me another lecture?”
He glared, incredulous at the non sequitur. Then he muttered, “Oh hell, why not?” and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close and lowering his mouth to hers. She responded instantly, just as he knew she would—fun and hot. And slightly desperate.
Just like him.
The fingers of his left hand tangled in her incredibly soft hair, while his right kept her pressed against him, and they kissed with growing hunger, their tongues crazy with the need to experience each other completely. Then his hand slipped up to her right breast, cupping it with fervent admiration as his thumb swept across the alert nipple. It was an instinctive move born of experience, eliciting the desired reaction as a muffled cry of pleasure burst from the back of her throat, resonating through him, making him ache for more.
Then the tasting became gentler—almost reverent—as their bodies molded together.
More than anything, he wanted to pick her up and carry her to his quarters. To make love the way she had described it—“for the sheer joy of it”.
And then she’ll go back to the platform and make love with TJ.
It was a definite mood killer, and to her credit, she seemed to have the same misgivings. And so it was Alexia who withdrew first, still in his arms, but looking up at him with that sweet, crazy smile and whispering breathlessly, “Go ahead and yell at me if you want. That was totally worth it.”
“Yeah,” he admitted, finding it impossible not to grin.
She seemed pleased by his response, and when she backed away, her expression was warm but also final. “Have a safe trip, cowboy. Promise?”
“Come on, I’ll walk you home.”
“I’ve got my panic alarm, remember? One touch and a dozen handsome heroes rush to my rescue.”
“Good thinking.” He cleared his throat. “I hope you find your brother soon.”
“Thanks, Rick. And thank you too, Sensie,” she called out mischievously. “I may be short, but you’re perfect, glitches and all.”
“Goodbye, Alexia. Try not to do anything foolish.”
“Sensie,” Rick groaned.
But Alexia clearly loved the computer’s response.
“I’ll be good, I promise,” she told them both. Then she flashed a farewell smile at Rick, turned away to activate the front hatch, then walked out of his life.
And into TJ’s.
“You should not have kissed her that way, Captain,” Sensie told him as soon as the door swooshed shut.
“Back off.” He scowled toward the main console, but only because he didn’t need Sensie nagging him over the next few hours, days, weeks. He wanted to enjoy this memory—the hot kiss with a fired-up female—for as long as it lasted. And he needed to get his chores done so he could top it off with a bio-girl.
“I’m gonna take the suits and equipment to the cleaners. Then I’ll stow that extra ACT below deck. We can fuel up in the morning. I’ll spend the night at the Trading Post.”
“With a courtesy date?” Sensie’s tone turned judgmental. “Is that wise? So soon after you kissed Alexia?”
“Trust me, she won’t mind.”
“Because she will be in TJ Seaton’s bed? Does that make you jealous?”
“Nope.” He paused to acknowledge the truth in that claim. It actually didn’t bother him at all.
To Sensie he explained, “She’s one hundred percent focused on finding her brother. And TJ can help with that. Meanwhile, I’m focused on not finding anyone. Except you, of course.”
“You didn’t find me, you built me.”
“Even better.” He laughed out loud, more euphoric than he’d been in years, and eager to move on—past Alexia Montoya and full speed ahead to his next adventure.
For the first time since Trent’s disappearance, Alexia felt alive. This part of her—hopeful, fun-loving—had been dormant for so long. She had hoped TJ would be the Prince Charming who would rouse her from that condition, and maybe he still would. But Captain Rick Gage had helped the cause considerably by reminding her she wasn’t just a sister or a daughter. She was a vital, sensual creature who needed the touch of a man.
“And that man is TJ,” she scolded herself as she stripped off her casual clothes, ready to dress in her most foolproof outfit—a skimpy black dress with spaghetti straps, filmy skirts, and a V-neckline designed to make men weep. It had been effective more than once over the past five years—most notably in a Christmas video that still garnered thousands of hits on the freescape every week. And it would work on TJ too. She was almost sure of that, especially given how easily he had been aroused by jeans and a tank top.
If only she had been aroused by him too, but the cowboy had cock-blocked all that. She couldn’t think of anyone but him. Those laughing green eyes, the powerful build. The way he had resisted her, the way he’d given in. And then because of who he was, and what he’d gone through, he had backed off once and for all, unwilling to take advantage despite her obvious consent.
She could still feel his touch. His arms holding her, his tongue sparring with hers, his fingertips teasing her nipple. Just the memory of it fooled her body into believing he was nearby, ready to take her completely, again and again. She needed that. Craved it.
Because she was a vital female, and from the way she had responded to the wrangler, a female in heat. It was so heady, so real, she slipped the dress off, letting it crumble to the ground, then she touched her breast the way Rick had done, savoring the delicious pang of pleasure.
“Snap out of it,” she mocked herself. “TJ’s expecting you. And who knows, maybe he can complete the mission, right?”
There had been a time when just thinking about the handsome football star had elicited these same erotic feelings.
“And he can do it again,” she promised herself. “All Rick did was prime you.”
Laughing, she pulled her dress back up, spritzed herself with citrus-scented perfume, and brushed her hair until the artificial highlights popped. TJ would love this effect. Adore it. Maybe even profess his undying devotion on the spot, and once they consummated their lust…
Don’t get overconfident, she warned herself as she stuffed the key card to the penthouse in her purse. Just because Rick went crazy doesn’t mean TJ will. There’s baggage there. And who knows what his father has been saying?
It was a sobering thought. David Seaton hated Alexia almost as much as he had once loved her father. Roberto had been so harmless, so focused on science and math, and so grateful to silver-haired Seaton for handling the financial aspects of their venture, the monster had had no choice but to cherish him.
But Trent had been different. Gentle in his own way, but also a threat to David in his ability to monitor the business side of things along with the research and development. Worse, he had inspired David’s son to do likewise by learning about science as well as finance. Hadn’t TJ—a supposed economics major—been the second man in Earth’s history to transit the sinkhole? Not just a bean counter after all, but instead, another shining light in the world of discovery.
Did that bother the elder Seaton, who was widely known as “the money guy”? He wanted to be seen as the top businessman in the organization, and Roberto had never challenged that.
But Trent had.
And in some ways, TJ had done so too. But Trent had disappeared before his best friend found the strength to rebel against David completely.
That will be my gift to you, she promised her old heartthrob as she headed out the door. You’ll help me find Trent, and I’ll help you find yourself. You’re smart and savvy and adorable, and if you bring my brother back to me, I’ll never look at another cowboy again.
With everything prepped for the five-month contract in Sector Fourteen, Rick fueled up the Drifter, powered Sensie down for the night and headed for the Trading Post. He usually spent a couple of nights there when he returned to the space platform after a contract, but Alexia had interrupted his rhythm in more ways than one.
Time to get back on track, he told himself cheerfully.
As always, the thought of hanging out with one of the bio-girls excited him. Free, unencumbered sex with a pretty woman who was tested bi-weekly for disease and wearing a mandatory birth-control patch. It didn’t get much better than that.
Still, when he stepped into the bar and spied Alexia at the bar, sipping a fizzy drink, he had to laugh. Apparently, she wasn’t quite ready to get out of his head yet, so he walked toward her, enjoying the view as he did so.
This was the Alexia the media loved to portray—sexy black dress with no back and a plunging neckline; bare arms, bare legs and spiked heels that could kill a man literally as well as sexually. And the best smile of any woman, ever.
“Hey, cowboy,” she beamed, patting the stool next to hers. “I thought you were already upstairs with one of the girls.”
He slid onto the seat. “And I figured you’d be at TJ’s place.”
“I needed some liquid courage first.”
“Alexia…” He gave her a reproachful frown. “If you don’t want to do it, don’t.”
“It’s not that. I’m fine with the sex part. I just feel guilty about leading him on. If I’m leading him on. Who knows? Maybe I’m still in love with him, but…” Her eyes clouded. “He’s different these days, and that’s throwing me a little.”
“Different how?”
She shrugged her bare shoulders, sending a wave of anticipation through his excitable body. Then she said carefully, “He’s more aggressive than I remember. Not just his temper, but sexually aggressive too. I know you platform guys get all the sex you want, but he seems really anxious to—well, to consummate this.”
“He’s hot for you, that’s for sure.”
“I didn’t expect it, but it works for my purposes.” She eyed him teasingly. “Let’s talk about you for once. This is such a strange lifestyle—eighteen bio-girls for two hundred men. But TJ assures me it all works out.”
“It does.”
“Is that blonde over by the window one of them?”
Rick nodded.
“She’s pretty. Have you slept with her?”
He scowled but nodded again.
“What about that girl flirting with the big, shaggy guy. Is she one of them?”
“Yeah.”
“And have you slept with her too?”
He glared. “Cut it out.”
Alexia laughed. “So much for talking about you. Back to me.” Her tone warmed. “I don’t want you to worry, Rick. I know what I’m doing. Plus, I’ve done this before, so it’s no big deal.”
He arched an eyebrow, then turned to thank the bartender who had delivered his usual drink—whisky straight up.
“What about you, Miss Montoya?” the man asked. “Another Cointreau and cranberry?”
“I’m still working on this one, thanks.”
When they were alone again, Rick leaned closer, acutely aware of her citrus scent. “If you need a drink before you see him, he’s not the right guy. You know that, don’t you?”
She rolled her eyes, and he thought she was going to make a joke. Then her mood sobered. “I’m running out of time. Even I know that. Trent can’t survive out there forever without help. He’s brilliant and resourceful, but if he’s still alive—”
“He’s still alive,” Rick blurted out instinctively.
“I know you’re just humoring me, but the truth is, I can feel him, alive and waiting, at least for the moment.” She gave him a tearful smile. “That counts for something, right? If it doesn’t, it means I’ve wasted five years of my life.”
“You’ve raised awareness—not just for Trent but for all the sinkhole victims. I wouldn’t call that a waste.”
“I was referring to my personal life.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Dozens of geek lovers? Don’t remind me.”
“Three geek lovers and a security guard. He tried to get me access to Prototype Number Three—”
“Seriously? At NASA?”
She nodded. “Old man Seaton blocked it, the creep. And then he got the poor guy fired. I felt so bad, I hired him at my company. But we never actually hit the sheets.”
“You said three geeks and a guard. Who was the third geek?”
She took a long sip of her cranberry drink, then smiled. “He’s the smartest man on Earth, at least according to the New York Times. A reclusive genius. Apparently he’d be the heir apparent to Trent if he weren’t so antisocial.”
“And you slept with him too?” Rick cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
She laughed. “I tried to sleep with him but he’s riddled with anxiety. So we just ended up on the couch, a judicious distance apart, watching geek porn.”
“You mean, like robot videos?”
“I wish.” Her amber eyes twinkled. “He prefers videos of naked blonde girls with huge breasts having pillow fights and giggling. It was pitiful, especially because I was sitting right there with my girls front and center.” She hefted her own breasts in illustration. “But he was terrified of us.”
“Man,” he said, laughing out loud despite the crowded surroundings. “You’ve met some freaks.”
“Tell me about it.” She sighed. “He tried discussing Trent with me, but it was over my head. And the bottom line was the same old song: your brother’s gone, so get on with your life.” Visibly frustrated, she added, “Can you believe he actually proposed marriage to me? Complete with celibacy and blonde porn?”
It sounded effing crazy to Rick, but he decided just to wince in sympathy. “Didn’t you ever have a normal boyfriend?”
“I thought so once. A sweet guy in college. Then one day, a friend pointed out how much he looked like TJ and—wow. The blinders fell off with a thud.”
“Geezus, it really is the worst sex life ever.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” She laughed lightly. “Let’s hope my luck changes tonight.”
“You’re definitely going through with it?”
She seemed surprised. “Are you asking me not to?”
“Huh?”
Her cheeks reddened. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m just nervous, I guess. Wish me luck?”
“Absolutely.”
She surprised him by kissing his jaw. “Have fun with your bio-girl. And have a safe trip, okay? I’ll probably be Earth-side by the time you get back.”
“And if you’re not, it’ll mean you and TJ hooked up permanently?”
When she nodded, he brushed a strand of copper hair from her cheek. “I’ll walk you to his building—”
“No need. I have my pulse alarm, remember? And it might make him jealous. So just think good thoughts, okay?”
It was a crossroads and he knew it. He didn’t want a relationship. That was the whole point of moving here. And even if he wanted a girlfriend, he couldn’t have this girl, because her focus was elsewhere. She wanted something only TJ Seaton could give her.
Which was for the best, wasn’t it?
Just when he thought things were finalized, she licked her lips and gave him an uncertain smile. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
He tried not to scowl, even though he was pretty sure he knew what she would now ask. It was what everyone asked him sooner or later, wasn’t it? She wanted to know if his self-imposed exile was permanent. Did he actually intend on spending the rest of his life out here? Away from Earth, his ranch, his past? No children? No future at all in the traditional sense?
Or was he just biding his time? Healing slowly, but moving toward a goal. A goal that encompassed friends, family, love, progeny…
“Go ahead,” he told her, his tone cooler than intended.
She grimaced but pushed on. “I’m confused about your plan. For this contract in Sector Fourteen.”
“Huh?”
“The Drifter is big,” she explained, “but it can only hold so much. And those thugs today were huge. So how can you make any money? You could fit eight—maybe ten—in the hull, right? In exchange for months of travel time in space?” After pausing for a breath, she said sweetly, “Educate me. I just don’t see it.”
“That’s your question?” Rick chuckled as his inflated ego decompressed. She wasn’t asking about his romantic plans, just his economic ones. “You want to know how I make my money?”
“No, no. I meant—”
“It’s fine.” He touched her bare shoulder, intending just to reassure her, but the jolt flashed him back to the prior evening’s performance. He could see the whipped cream-covered breasts, feel the heat from her body, see her savoring the stretchy cheese of the enchiladas.
Pulling himself together, he explained, “I didn’t come out here to make money, Alexia. I’ve got enough to live on for a long while. But I want to explore. Not just around Destry but throughout its solar system. That kind of traveling burns fuel like crazy, and I underestimated that cost. Luckily, if I can bring in a dozen thugs a year for recycling, and a half-dozen nymphs or so, I can afford to go anywhere I choose.”
“Nymphs? Oh, you mean: infodroids?”
“Exactly. These contracts cover my fuel. Plus, as a Sea-Mont contractor I can buy fuel cells at cost, so it’s a double win.” He flashed an understanding smile. “You’re right, though. If I were just in it for the money, Sector Fourteen wouldn’t make sense, not even with TJ doubling the bounty. Lucky for me, I’ll just grab my quota, then spend the bulk of my time exploring.”
Her golden eyes sparkled. “Will you see Laredo?”
“That’s the plan,” he said, his pulse quickening at the thought of getting up close and personal with the only other planet in Destry’s solar system.
“They say it’s uninhabited. But maybe you’ll prove them wrong.”
“I doubt it. Anyway, it’s a gas giant so even if there is life there, it’s not the kind we usually envision.”
“Maybe one of its moons can support life,” she countered stubbornly.
Too late he realized where she was going. She actually believed her brother might be out there. It wrenched at him, gut-wise, and he instinctively brushed his fingertips along her bare shoulder. “If Trent were on Laredo, he would have figured out how to signal us by now, right? I actually like your time-suspension theory better anyway.”
She licked her lips. “Tell me why.”
“It’s cleaner. And it would make me three years older than him, even though he was born five years earlier than me.”
Her face beamed. “You’re right! And he wouldn’t be eight years older than me anymore either. We’d be almost as close as twins. I never thought of that. Thanks, Rick.”
“My pleasure.”
Her gaze softened. “How long will you be gone?”
“Six months, give or take. So yeah, you’ll be gone. Unless you marry TJ and decide to live here.”
“This stupid place? With its fake air and monotonous weather?” She flashed a mischievous smile. “It’s different for you on the Drifter. Almost like home, right? But this platform—ugh.”
“I agree. I get stir crazy here too. You should try exploring,” he said, only half-teasing.
“In space?” She laughed. “I’m not that kind of Montoya. If things were different, I might spend some time exploring Destry from an archaeological perspective. That was the original plan for me before Trent disappeared.”
Rick liked the sound of her staying. Probably way too much. “They have a research team down there, so you could still try it,” he said carefully.
“Wearing a gas mask and hazmat suit? Ugh. The only thing worse than an artificial atmosphere is a poisonous one.”
“True.”
“What about you?” She quirked a curious eyebrow. “When you’ve had enough exploring, will you go back to Earth? To your ranch? Get married and have kids?”
A growl of frustration erupted in his throat. There it was, the question he had expected from the start. Somehow she had tricked him into letting his guard down.
The old one-two punch.
“I’ll visit the ranch every once in a while, but my home is here now. Aboard the Drifter. It’s all I need. Or want.”
He half-expected her to take offense, but she just nodded. “You sound like me.”
“Huh?”
“People always ask me why I’m not dating. Having babies. Getting on with my life. And I tell them this is my life. Searching for Trent. Rescuing the sinkhole victims. I’m doing exactly what I want to do, the way I want to do it.”
He exhaled in annoyed amusement. “When you put it that way, we both sound crazy.”
“Maybe that’s why we get along so well. That and the rampant lust.”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “You’ve got the most amazing shoulders.”
“My shoulders?” Her smile softened. “That’s not usually what guys notice.”
“Sure they do. Among other things,” he added teasingly.
“We’ve definitely got chemistry. Too bad I need physics and you need astronomy.”
“Yeah.”
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I’d better get going. He’s expecting me.”
The reminder hit him between the eyes. She was beautiful and sexy and fun, and she was TJ Seaton’s for the asking. It seemed insane, but who was he to interfere? She didn’t need him to be macho, or decisive, or even protective.
She just needed him to back off. So he told her simply, “Good luck with that. I hope you get everything you need.”
“Thanks, Rick.” She flashed one final, uncertain smile, slid off her stool, and walked out of the bar. She must have known he was watching her—or maybe she just naturally moved like that, slow and sensual, confident yet vulnerable, and absolutely irresistible.
“Hi Rick,” said a voice from behind him, and he turned to see a pretty blonde who had been one of his favorite dates lately.
“Hey, Lana. How’ve you been?”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “So? You and Alexia Montoya?”
“Nope. We’re just friends. She’s dating TJ, actually.”
Lana seemed to savor this tidbit of scandal, then slid her hands behind his neck and murmured, “In that case, Gwen and I want to give you a two-for-one special. Since things are slow, and we don’t see much of you these days.”
He cleared his throat, intrigued. “Isn’t that against the rules?”
“We bend them occasionally. Sometimes for TJ himself, so he can’t really complain, can he?” She perched herself on his lap and ran one fingertip over his lips. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”
He knew she was right, but for some reason, it was also all wrong. Her long, straight hair seemed like straw, her pale shoulders skinny, almost sickly, her eyes too small, too blue. He knew what he wanted, and this wasn’t it.
Still, he surprised himself almost as much as Lana when he moved her back to her feet then stood up. “It’s tempting. But I want to get an early start tomorrow. And I’ve still got some last-minute details to deal with. So how about a rain check?”
She pretended to pout, but only for a second or two. Then she told him softly, “She’s bad news. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know that. Why do you think I’m heading out early tomorrow?” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself. See you in six months, okay?”
“You said this video would put you in a better mood, but it’s worse than ever, Captain,” Sensie complained when Rick grouched at her for the tenth time after his return to the Drifter.
He could barely tear his gaze away from the image of Alexia in her trademark black dress and heels, hanging tinsel on a Christmas tree in front of a black-tie audience of admiring donors to the sinkhole cause. But he knew his computer was right. This definitely wasn’t helping. “Turn it off, then. Let’s just finish laying in tomorrow’s course.”
“You should go back to the Trading Post. Spending the night there always makes you happy.”
He chuckled. “They were all blondes and redheads tonight, and I kinda needed someone darker.”
“Surely one of them has a wig.”
“A wig?” He laughed again. “I didn’t think of that. You’re a genius.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes, imagining TJ pawing at Alexia, and Alexia pretending to love it. Or worse, actually loving it. “Maybe we should just leave tonight.”
“That makes no sense.” Sensie’s tone grew solicitous. “I never thought I’d see you in love—”
“This isn’t love. It’s some kind of perverse hard-on that won’t quit. I just need to power through and remind myself I don’t want, or need, a girlfriend. Especially one who’s not available anyway. TJ’s probably making his move right now, and that’s what she wants.”
“Although ironically, it is the biggest mistake she can make if she wants access to the Sea-Mont sentient.”
He sat up, surprised by the observation. “Support that.”
“I have spent a portion of my downtime analyzing what we know of TJ Seaton, and I have determined that he hungers for what he doesn’t have. Despite being a multi-millionaire and a celebrated businessman, he is empty and alone because he can’t have the one thing he craves, which is his father’s affection. It is unattainable. There was a time when the Montoyas filled the void, but one by one, he lost them. First Roberto, then Trent, and then Alexia. If he can possess her again, he believes it will fill the emptiness, but it will not. Still, for the moment, it gives her amazing leverage.”
“That makes sense,” he agreed reluctantly. “So what’s the problem?”
“The problem is, once she gives herself to him, he will realize it isn’t enough. He may love her—even marry her—but she will never again have this kind of power over him. The power to convince him to share his sentient with her.”
“Fuck, that almost sounds plausible.”
“I believe it is accurate. She must tread carefully—”
“Yeah, I get it.” He jumped to his feet. “Shut down for the night, Sensie, but keep those shields raised. I’ll be back before dawn and we can head out.”
“You plan to spend the night with Alexia?”
“Nope. I just want to warn her, then I’ll spend the night with a blonde in a dark wig.” He chuckled again at the thought, finding it oddly arousing. “Thanks for the great advice, Sensie. You’re the best girl a guy could ever have.”