“Now I can sleep.”

She startled when he pressed up against her back, and she opened her eyes, watching him reach up to drop the cloth and bottle back into the hidden drawer, then push it closed. He rolled away, no longer touching her.

Time passed and she started to relax again. She had almost drifted to sleep when Stag rolled into her, curling his big body against hers. Her eyes popped open, staring at the wall, wondering what he’d do to her.

“I’m not a machine,” he rasped, close to her ear. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, then slid upward. She sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers pressed over her breast. He just rested them there. “I’m also not a sex bot, or I’d have gotten you off, instead of myself.”

She swallowed and didn’t say a word. He had to know she was wide awake now. He moved his hand, slid it down her stomach slowly, and paused over her belly button.

“I’d have either used my fingers or mouth to make you come, then I’d have fucked you.” He slid his hand upward again, and that time, firmly cupped her breast, massaging it through the thin material.

She gasped. It didn’t hurt. She wished it did but her body responded to his husky voice, the things he said, and the way he closed two of his fingers, lightly pinching her nipple between them. It had been far too long since she’d been touched to be immune. The fact that he was so attractive didn’t help.

“You have a beautiful body. I wanted you the first moment I saw you.” He jerked her against his firm, long length, spooning to her back tightly. He was warm and had her trapped between his arm and chest. “We could have shared a lot of pleasure…except you’re an Earther.” He released her and rolled away. “Go to sleep.”

Nala closed her eyes and forced her breathing to slow. “You really are a bastard.”

“You’re learning,” he agreed. “Androids don’t hold grudges—but I do.”

Chapter Four

Stag couldn’t get his mind off Nala. He’d managed to get some sleep but not much. It was the first time he’d shared a bed with someone else, and the circumstances hadn’t been ideal. Regret kept washing through him. It was possible he’d gone too far to teach the Earther a lesson, and get a little payback at the same time.

Hellion cleared his throat, drawing his attention.

“What is it?”

The cyborg had turned in his seat in Control. “You haven’t said one word in the hour since you began your shift. It’s just us. How is it going with Nala?”

“I’m not discussing her.”

“I’d have done my best to seduce her.”

“I’m not you. Watch your screen and I’ll watch mine.”

“It’s boring looking for any lights in all this darkness. I’ve felt nervous since we entered this dead zone.”

Irritation rose. “Turn off your feelings.”

“You always suggest that. Why?”

“Because I’m not allowed to directly order you to shut them off unless you’ve become a danger to yourself or others. It’s annoying when you question my orders. You wouldn’t do that if you weren’t feeling nervous.”

“Doesn’t this bother you at all?”

“Hiding from the enemy? Yes. Being in a dead zone? No.”

“We have no sensor readings since there’s nothing for them to bounce off of. There’s absolutely nothing here.”

Stag stood, stretching his legs. “Watch the screen, Hellion. We hope there’s nothing out there. The Markus Models might have followed us inside. Don’t let your guard down or I’ll put you on another duty.”

Hellion lowered his head, his lips clamped together. Stag hated to scold his crew, but some cyborgs had become a little lax in their compliance. It was his job as commander of the Varnish to keep them in line.

Stag took a seat again, monitoring his own screen.

A glint flashed.

Stag reached out, zooming in on it. It was a quick ray of moving light but then it faded. He slapped his other hand down on his console.

“Everyone to Control. Now!”

Hellion twisted. “What is it?”

“Section three-six-four.”

“I see nothing.”

“I did, and we need to be prepared. There’s something in the dead zone with us.”

“Maybe it was a glitch on the screen.”

The doors opened sooner than expected and Kelis rushed inside. Stag didn’t reprimand him for his lack of uniform or shoes. The male wore sleeping shorts and his hair was mussed from leaving his bed. He slid into his seat at weapons.

“What’s going on?”

“Uncertain. I saw a flash of light.” Then Stag spotted another and enlarged it on the main screen so they could all see it.

“What is that?” Kelis tried to read their sensors but nothing showed on them.

Parqel and Veller entered. They wore sparring outfits. Both of them paused, staring at the flare of light crossing the front display.

Stag amplified the camera to the max and cursed. “Maze and Yammer, report now. What are your locations?”

Neither answered. He scanned life signs, finding both of them inside their quarters. Both males had to be sleeping not to answer his hail. They’d had the last shift.

He locked their doors, his mind working fast to take over functions on his ship.

“Belt in,” he ordered his men. “They are blindly firing, hoping to hit us.”

He overrode the computer in his quarters, turning on the coms. “Nala? Brace for possible impact. Do you hear me?”

He heard her gasp. “What’s happening?”

“The lowest wall panel under the bunk is where the survival equipment is kept. Prepare for hull breaches.”

“What’s going on?”

He cut her off, focusing on removing the oxygen from all nonessential areas near the exterior of the shuttle. The damage would be lessened if they sustained a hit. He used thrusters, turning the ship to make them a smaller target.

Another flare of light showed on the screen, closer to them.

“Can we move to where we’ve already seen lights?” Veller’s low voice revealed his tension.

“There is no pattern. I’m watching for one,” Stag admitted. “They could broadside us if we attempt to move where they’ve already fired.”