Salvaging Abby (Marks Mercenaries Book 4) Read online

  A sneaking suspicion began to grow inside him. The boy was very pretty. Not unusual. He’d seen many cultures where the males were delicate and feminine in appearance.

  “Why are you boarding my ship?” He might need help with repairs, but he wasn’t about to take it from some unknown party. Just a glimpse at the tech aboard his ship would be worth many credits from the Alliance government.

  The people of Gravas guarded their tech and military capabilities. No outsider was allowed aboard one of their vessels or on their planet. The only exception was marriage, and that was a very rare occurrence. Outsiders weren’t welcome with open arms on his homeland.

  His marriage contract should have been signed three months ago. Not that he’d had any feelings for the woman. He’d never met her. It had been a purely business arrangement, one he’d agreed to for the good of his family and people.

  It had been a colossal mistake. And it had led to his current predicament.

  “Well, Abe, what shall we do?”

  “I’ll unhook my ship and be on my way.”

  Vaden couldn’t allow that to happen. The youth would no doubt alert the authorities, which would bring every space pirate and government within reach all coming for him and his ship. It was unheard of for a Gravasian to be on his own. They always traveled as a unit, well armed and ready for anything.

  His pride and stubborn nature had gotten him into this mess. Now he had to deal with it.

  He took a step closer to his opponent and noticed that the hair he’d thought was totally black had a white streak in the front. It was an unusual marking. Paired with the suspicious bluish-green eyes, it was suddenly very familiar.

  It couldn’t be. Could it?

  Vaden swore under his breath. He lowered his weapon and slowly removed his helmet, facing the woman who called herself Abe. Because now that he’d had time to study her, he had no doubt in his mind that the person holding a weapon on him was indeed female.

  And he happened to know exactly who she was. “Hello, Abigail.”

  He took the blast to the chest, staggering back a step. She’d shot him. The little vixen had actually shot him. She was just like her brother Flynn. Shoot first and ask questions later.

  He caught himself before he grinned. Then he lunged forward as she tried to detach from his ship. He grabbed her arm and dragged her onto his vessel.

  She fought him, ramming her elbows against his ribs, stomping her foot against his instep. But he felt none of it through his high-tech battlesuit. “Let me go, you son of a bitch,” she yelled. She fired again, this time hitting the door. It slid shut. The ship assumed it was being attacked and automatically went on total lockdown.

  “Stop,” he ordered. He grabbed her hand and held the weapon down. “I’m not going to hurt you. Drop the blaster.”

  “Not on your life, buddy.”

  Vaden was not used to being disobeyed. As a commander in the Gravasian space fleet, he was accustomed to his men following orders without question. Maybe it was only women who didn’t listen. First his intended bride and now this woman.

  He increased the pressure on her hand until she was forced to release the weapon. It clattered to the deck floor. She whirled in his arms and struck out, managing to land a solid hit to his chin. There was enough force behind it that it rocked his head back.

  “Enough,” he roared. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He wrapped his arms around her so she couldn’t punch him again.

  Her eyes glittered with anger and fear. Her smell was light and airy, like flowers. The chest protector she wore hid her attributes from him, but there was no denying she was all woman.

  Her thick lashes came down, momentarily blocking his view of her eyes. She was breathing heavily, but she stilled, like a hunted creature waiting for an opportunity to flee.

  Vaden was also breathing heavily, and it wasn’t because he was tired. The little skirmish with her was nothing to him. He could fight for hours on end without stopping. He was Gravasian—fit and in his prime. And she was a woman, softer and weaker.

  She glanced up at him, and he was lost in the depths of her eyes. He leaned down before he realized what he was doing and skimmed his lips over hers.

  She sucked in a breath. “What? What are you doing?”

  “I’m kissing you.”

  Chapter Two

  He knew who she was.

  How was that possible? She hadn’t meant to shoot him. That had been purely reflex when he’d called her by name.

  The Gravasian male was huge, standing about six and a half feet tall, all of it pure muscle under that battlesuit. He hadn’t even flinched when she’d kicked him. But he had been surprised when she’d socked him in the jaw.

  Not the smartest thing she’d ever done, but she was more scared than she’d ever been, and considering what she’d been through in her life, that was saying something.

  He knows who I am. The thought echoed in her head.

  Was he some kind of a bounty hunter? She’d run into a few over the years, all hired by Jasper Freeman. None had ever gotten close.

  She’d kept her identity a strict secret for the past seven years, never allowing a hint of her femininity to escape, not even on board the ship. It would be too easy to slip up those times when they had to dock. She’d gotten so adept at it, there were times she’d thought that even Henry had forgotten she was a woman.

  When the stranger pressed his lips against hers, it shocked the breath from her and pushed all rational thought aside. She’d been kissed before, when she was a teenager living on Eden. It had been a stolen kiss with another youth. Nothing at all like this.

  Vaden wasn’t just big and strong; he was handsome in a rough, primal way. His eyes were as dark as the remotest part of space where no stars glowed. His hair was a deep brown and cut with almost military precision. He had a beard and moustache, trimmed and neat.

  He appeared hard and unforgiving, but his lips were soft and supple as they skimmed over hers again and again. Something warm and unfamiliar welled up inside her. Her legs went weak, forcing her to cling to his arms for support.

  She opened her mouth to tell him to stop. He took advantage and slipped his tongue inside. It was shocking and sensual at the same time. Her toes curled in her boots. And beneath the layers of her flightsuit and chest protector, her nipples puckered.

  He tasted hot and intensely masculine. There was no fumbling, no hesitation. He didn’t just kiss her. No, he laid claim to her mouth.

  No man had ever kissed her like this. Pretending to be a boy had stunted her growth in certain areas—the whole male/female relationship thing being top of the list. Sure, she’d read about it, but that was a far cry from actually doing it.

  When his tongue touched hers, she was helpless to restrain the moan of pure pleasure that slipped from her.

  Was it warm in here? Maybe she was coming down with something.

  When he pulled back, she dug her fingers into the fabric of his battlesuit, ready to object to his ending the caress until common sense and better judgment took hold.

  She took a step away and glared up at him. “Why did you do that?”

  “Damned if I know,” he shot back. Looking at him, she realized he didn’t seem any happier about the kiss than she was. And wasn’t that a kick in the butt.

  “It’s your own fault,” she reminded him. “No one made you do it.” She dragged the back of her forearm across her mouth, trying to remove the taste of him. No such luck. Her legs were trembling, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hit him or demand he kiss her again.

  His eyes narrowed. His lips drew into a hard line. And if his glare got any hotter, she might disintegrate.

  Pulling herself together, she put her hands on her hips and tried to look tough. His gaze traveled over her from head to toe before coming back up to rest on her face. He didn’t look impressed.

  It was time to take control of the situation. She might not be able to outmuscle him, but she could try to talk her way
out of the situation.

  “Look, I’m not sure who you think I am, but I’m not this Abigail.” The lie rolled easily off her tongue. “My name is Abe. I run a small salvage operation, saw your ship, and came to investigate. Since you’re okay, I’ll be on my way.” Straightforward and to the point—always important when dealing with any man. It left no room for misunderstanding.

  She pointed to the panel by the closed door. “So, if you’ll just open this thing. I’ll get back on my ship, disengage, and be on my way.” The faster she could get out of here the better.

  Now that he knew she wasn’t a boy but a woman, there were a whole other set of problems that could arise. She hadn’t helped matters by responding to his kiss.

  She might have been sheltered these past years, but she’d grown up in a rough mining colony and had seen plenty, in spite of her family’s attempt to protect her from the worst of it. She’d also had four older brothers, all of whom attracted the opposite sex. She knew men were always looking to crawl into bed with a willing woman.

  No matter the supposed utopian community of Eden, it had been the same there. And it was definitely like that on any docking station throughout the galaxy.

  Women were always vulnerable. And right now, she was a sitting duck without her weapon.

  For all that, she wasn’t afraid he’d do something she didn’t want. There was too much control about the man. Or maybe she was just deluding herself so she’d feel better about the situation.

  He ignored her suggestion about opening the door. Instead, he crossed his massive arms over his wide chest. “Why are you on your own?” His deep voice made her insides turn to liquid. Not good.

  “What makes you think I’m alone?” There, best to get him thinking that maybe there were other people on board her ship.

  His expression never changed. “My scanners are still very operational.”

  Well darn. She wished hers worked as well. She’d never have approached this ship if she’d known anyone was on board. But she would have radioed and asked if he needed help. She really had to do something about this weakness she had to help those in need. It was going to land her in big trouble someday.

  She almost groaned aloud when she realized that someday had already arrived. She was currently in very big heap of trouble.

  “Why are you alone?” he asked again. He was stubborn, she’d give him that.

  “Not your problem,” she reminded him.

  He reached out, and she flinched before she could halt her reaction. He stilled and then slowly flicked the lock of white in the front of her hair. “This says otherwise.”

  “What does my hair have to do with anything?” Her stomach was in knots as she tried to brazen her way out of the situation. “It’s a fashion statement.”

  He gave a snort of laughter. She couldn’t really take offense given the way she was dressed. And her hairstyle was basically a hack job that she did herself whenever it grew too long.

  Losing patience, she went to the panel, scooping up her weapon as she went, only partially surprised when he didn’t stop her. Of course, it would take a lot more than her puny blaster to bring him down, unless she shot him in the face.

  And she had a sneaking suspicion he’d be able to evade any head shot before it hit him.

  She tucked the weapon away and banged on the panel, trying to figure out how to open it. Couldn’t be too hard. All ships worked on similar mechanical principles. Only she hadn’t been able to find a way in. He’d let her in.

  She knew when he came up behind her. Not because he made any noise. He was surprisingly quiet for a man of his size. No, she knew because the hairs on the back of her neck all stood on end and every nerve ending in her body seemed to come alive.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his breath a puff of air on her neck that sent a shiver down her spine.

  “I’m leaving.”

  He placed his hand over hers, flattening it against the metal panel. “I can’t let you do that.”

  She swallowed heavily. Her stomach churned. The real possibility of being taken captive, for the second time in her life, loomed before her.

  It was her worst nightmare come to life.

  “Just let me go.” Desperation threatened to send her to her knees, but she was a fighter and would never stop trying to get free.

  He released her. For a second, hope sprang to life. Then, strong hands gripped her shoulders and turned her. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  ****

  Vaden wasn’t sure why he hadn’t simply told Abigail he knew her brothers to put her at ease. Her face was extremely expressive, every emotion visible. She was better than most at concealing her true thoughts, but he was a Gravasian warrior and saw the tiniest changes in her pupils, which indicated everything from fear to arousal, the way her mouth tightened just a fraction just before she lied, and the slightest clenching in her jaw when she was angry.

  He could still taste her on his lips. Her reaction had been one of surprise, as though she wasn’t used to being kissed. That was a huge turn-on. Virginity was prized by Gravasian warriors. They were possessive by nature. And knowing another man had sexual knowledge of your woman was too much for most to bear. Others viewed this cultural belief as barbaric. And perhaps it was, but it was how he’d been raised.

  “Why are you out here on your own?” In his experience, if you asked a question often enough, you inevitably got an answer.

  Her eyes widened a fraction before narrowing. “The less you know about me, the better. There’s no reason for you to keep me here.”

  Vaden sighed, wishing she was more easily intimidated. Most women—most men as well—when faced with a Gravasian warrior would immediately tell him everything he wanted to know for fear of reprisal if they did not.

  Not Abigail. She was as stubborn as her brothers.

  He stroked a finger down the side of her face. Her skin was smooth and so very soft. “You know where I am and that my ship is disabled. That is worth a lot of money to some people.”

  She inhaled sharply, causing her nostrils to flare slightly. Everything about her fascinated him. “I won’t tell anyone. I’m not stupid. It’s likely you’ve got a ship on its way here to assist. I have enough problems. The last thing I need is some Gravasian assassin on my tail for spilling secrets.”

  Vaden wanted to grin at her astute assessment, but kept his frown in place. “You know about my people?”

  “As much as anyone.” She shrugged when he continued to stare down at her. “Look, everyone knows Gravas is a secretive planet of badass warriors. Why would I want trouble with that?”

  “Wealth and power. It is what drives most people. Don’t tell me for one second you weren’t planning on taking this ship and selling it to the highest bidder.”

  A slight reddish tinge covered her cheeks. “Yeah, well, I thought it was empty.”

  Her honesty was refreshing. The fact she didn’t try to deny it pleased him.

  “Now that I know it’s not, I’ll be on my way.” She sounded so hopeful, he barely bit back a grin. She didn’t give up. An admirable trait. But she was just a babe when it came to trying to outlast him. There was no one in the known galaxies more determined than a Gravasian.

  When he simply continued to stand and stare, she sighed. “What are you going to do to me?” Even though her words were even, he detected the fear in her tone. He didn’t like that she was afraid of him. It could be nothing more than the fear of a woman trapped with an unknown male, but he suspected there was more to it.

  “Do you know anything about engines?” If she was captain of her own ship, she should know something about them. And since she was alone on her vessel, he assumed she knew more than most.

  “Some. Why?” There was a wealth of caution in her words.

  “I need a part.” It was just his luck to be in the middle of nowhere when a stabilizer gave way, effectively shutting down his engines. There were usually spares, but this ship had been in for maintenance. He�
��d been in too much of a hurry to wait for repairs, assuming he could handle anything that arose. And he could … if he had the necessary part.

  Hands on her slender hips, she rolled her eyes. “I doubt I have anything that will fit your ship. It’s not like I’ve ever run across a Gravasian ship in the middle of nowhere that I could salvage.” She paused dramatically. “Oh wait. I just found one. Too bad the part you want is broken.”

  This time, he couldn’t hold back his grin. She was spirited and courageous. Her tongue was sharp. He wouldn’t mind her putting it to use in a more pleasurable way. Although verbally sparring with her was arousing. His cock was already hard, and he still had no idea what her body was like under the heavy clothing she wore.

  He caught her chin in his hand. She glared at him, her uniquely colored eyes snapping with annoyance. Why he found that so attractive, he wasn’t quite sure? The women of his planet tended to be, not submissive, but softer. None would attempt to leave their home planet alone, let alone pilot a ship and live on their own. It would be unthinkable. Family was everything to them.

  And speaking of family, why had she not searched for hers?

  “Do you have family?”

  Her entire demeanor shifted in a heartbeat. She went from defiant to defeated. Her eyes became shuttered, and she grew remote. “My family is no concern of yours.”

  Needing to give her some small amount of comfort, he brushed his fingers down her face. “Family is important. On my home planet, family is everything.”

  She released a sigh and seemed to deflate, her shoulders hunching slightly. “My family is gone. All dead.”

  Vaden was shocked. He knew her brothers were all very much alive. They’d spent the past ten years searching for her. There was much to her story that he didn’t know, but he wanted to learn.

  “What if they weren’t?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “They died a long time ago in a mining blast. There’s no coming back from that.”

  Who had lied to her? He had more questions than answers, but there was one he needed answered more than any other. Had their first kiss been a fluke? He had to find out.